Champion finds golf cuts both ways

TWELVE months ago, David Duval was atop the golf world, having erased the label of one of the best players never to win a major with a gritty victory at the British Open.

His play this season suggests that he may be a non-factor at Muirfield. Halfway through 2002, he is searching for consistency and is in the throes of a perceived slump. He missed his third consecutive cut at the recent Canon Greater Hartford Open and sixth of the year at 4-over 144.

The six missed cuts include both majors, the Masters and the US Open, and are three more than the past three years combined. He has one top 10 finish this year, a tie for fourth at the Memorial. By early June, he found himself 68th in PGA Tour earnings.