AUGUSTA — There was a time last fall when we thought David Duval’s remarkable season had no more memories to make.
There were the four wins before The Masters, one which included a record-tying 59 in the final
round of the Bob Hope. But the leaves were falling from the New England trees now, and there had been no victories since spring. Duval, like the rest of his American teammates, was getting his brains beat by the Europeans in the Ryder Cup. Things couldn’t have gotten much worse.
We gave up on Duval then, the way just about everybody except Ben Crenshaw had given up on the Americans. But that Sunday at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass., Duval recaptured his game and our attention with a flare seldom seen in one of golf’s most stoic stars.
The David Duval that showed up that Sunday at Brookline is the one you hope shows up at Augusta National this weekend, the one that whipped Jesper Parnevik 5-and-4 in singles and then circled the 14th green, fist-pumping the crowd into a frenzy. We had never seen Duval act like this before: emotional, cocky, confident. His energy and excitement helped trigger the Americans remarkable comeback that saw them go from a 6-10 deficit to a 141/2-13½ victory. Duval was a hero again. Right up there with Tiger, Hal Sutton and all the rest.
That’s the Duval that must show up today when the opening round of the 64th Masters begins. It would be good to see the Duval that relishes these moments, instead of dodges them.
He was the favorite to win here last year after his incredible first three months. He won the season-opening Mercedes Championship at 26-under, shot his 59 at The Hope, won The Players Championship on his home course and then won the next week in Atlanta.
But being the lead dog was an uncomfortable fit. He downplayed talk of a rivalry with Tiger Woods, blamed the media for not understanding his good intentions and never embraced his fans the way they were ready to embrace him. He failed to win a tournament over the final eight months.
“I believe the reason I didn’t win golf tournaments in the second half of the year was probably because I scheduled myself poorly,” Duval said. “I believe I’m going to continue to work on that and schedule myself more efficiently. At the end of the year, I can tell you if I did a little better job of it or not.”
So far, this year hasn’t started off much better than ’99 finished. He has four top 10 finishes in eight events with his highest finishes being two third place standings in the Mercedes and the Match Play Championships. It has created the perception that Duval is laboring with his game, a notion he disputes.
“Like I said, I’m playing well and I’m looking forward to [The Masters],” Duval said. “I’ve been working hard, trying to make sure everything falls into place this week, and I believe I’m going to be successful in that. I’m looking forward to having a lot of fun this week.”
We aren’t always sure that Duval is having fun playing golf. He plays behind shades that hide the windows to his emotions, and doesn’t offer much insight when questioned by a group of reporters. During his practice round yesterday amid the sunshine and azaleas, fans offered encouragement as he strolled the fairways. For the most part, he didn’t respond. Not even a wave.
Duval and Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie head the list of, “Best Players Never To Have Won A Major,” and Duval’s indifference to that fact suggests he doesn’t want it as badly as most. “It’s probably what a lot of the players want to accomplish in their career,” he said. “So that’s the goal, they set. But it doesn’t mean they’re not successful [if they don’t win a major].”
The pick here is that Duval will win this weekend even though no one really expects him to. The spotlight is on Woods and Players Championship winner Hall Sutton with Duval in a group of potential contenders that range from Australian amateur Aaron Baddeley to left-handed Canadian Mike Weir.
But it’s time for Duval to win this thing. He has been on the back nine on Sunday at Augusta with a chance to win, losing a battle to Mark O’Meara in ’98 when he shot 67 to finish second. “Having been there I’ll know what to expect,” he said.
Duval is also more physically fit than he was a year ago. Gone is the baby fat and along with it, his former caddie and putter. He doesn’t even wear Tommy Hilfiger anymore, opting for a new line by Mossimo, a West Coast Company noted for surfing and extreme games apparel.
Even without these changes, Duval has the game to win here: long off the tee, accurate with irons, precise around the greens. After finishing second in ’98, he tied for sixth last year. He can play this course. “I’ve worked very hard and I hope everything falls in place this week,” Duval said. “We’re going to find out very soon now. I feel very good. I’m confident, and I think I’m going to have a lot of good things happen this week.”