Duval still down in the doldrums

As the battle for the world number one spot goes on this week – Ernie Els and Tiger Woods could both replace Vijay Singh just a week after he went back to the top – one former holder of the crown has other things on his mind.

David Duval, golf’s premier player for 15 weeks in 1999 and Open champion two years later, returns to the scene of one of his greatest triumphs – and his home town – with his game in tatters.

Things have reached such a state that if he were a boxer the referee would surely be thinking by now of stepping in to save him from further punishment.

The 33-year-old’s victory in the Players’ Championship at Sawgrass six years ago saw him become world number one for the first time, the culmination of a majestic run which included a closing round of 59, one of only three in US Tour history.

But now he is 585th in the rankings, sandwiched between fellow Americans John Elliott and Anthony Kang, whom even avid followers of the game would not know if they fell over them.

This season Duval has played six events and the only time he did not miss the halfway cut was because he withdrew after the opening round.

While Phil Mickelson leads the money list with £1.5million just ahead of Singh and Woods, Duval is still on zero.

He is a staggering 87 over par so far and last week at the Bay Hill Invitational had his third round of 85 this year.

Duval finished last there by six strokes, but that was not the worst it has been. At the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic a month ago – the event where he had his 59 – he was last by 20.

Yet he is battling on, at least for the time being. After his early exit from Bay Hill he drove up to Jacksonville and, before a thunderstorm forced the course to be cleared today, had already fitted in 61 holes of practice for the sport’s unofficial fifth major.

Duval’s absence from the event and from the Masters last year was part of a seven-month break, something he felt he had to do to clear his mind and decide what direction he wanted to take his life.

After returning at the US Open he flew to Britain for the Open at Troon, but withdrew just before he was due to tee off in the first round.

He did make eight other appearances, though, and a 13th place finish in Boston hinted at a revival in his fortunes. But he has gone back horribly since.

Duval is in the field for the Masters in two weeks’ time, but there is a slight question mark about his involvement in the tournament where he was second to Mark O’Meara in 1998, third behind Singh two years later and then second to Woods in 2001.

Wife Susie is due to give birth in May, but Duval says that if the baby looks like coming early “I’d go home.”

This week boasts one of the strongest fields of the year – including all of the world’s top 50 and 82 of the top 100 – making Duval the rank outsider on the course where he reigned supreme.

Nineteen Europeans are taking part, headed by Padraig Harrington, winner of his first US Tour title two weeks ago and second here the last two years.

Two more, Greg Owen and Brian Davis, are the first and second reserves, but tournament regulations are such that even for Owen to get in there will have to be four withdrawals.

For Els to go to number one he has to win and Singh and Woods have to be outside the top three. If he fails to do that Woods can reclaim top spot by finishing ahead of Singh.

Woods’ preference for crack-of-dawn practising paid off today. He managed 12 holes before play was suspended because of an approaching storm.

Only 23rd at Bay Hill – how Duval wishes he could say “only” 23rd again - Woods is looking to regain form in his final warm-up event for the Masters.

Without a major since the 2002 US Open, the 29-year-old is hopeful of getting going again if not at Augusta National, then certainly at either the US Open at Pinehurst in June or July’s Open at St Andrews.

He triumphed there by eight in 2000 and says: “It’s without doubt my favourite course. I loved it the first time I played it in 1995.”