‘Yeah, I’ve got more meat on my bones. I’m not interested in conveying a false image’
THESE are disquieting times in golf. A series of realities has jolted the PGA Tour. “It is,” David Feherty said, “a level of shock out here.”
Two horrible accidents that left five-time winner Ken Green seriously injured, and killed his brother William; his girlfriend Jeanne Marie Hodges and Green’s dog. Two weeks later an accident claimed the life of Beth Smith, 42, wife of pro Chris Smith, and seriously injured the couple’s two children. Green, 50, had his lower right leg amputated. Factor in Amy Mickelson’s well-publicised bout with breast cancer and the car crash that killed Skip Kendall’s mother.
“The camaraderie of the Tour is being put to the test,” Feherty added. Last week, Jim Brown, the legendary NFL player, took Tiger Woods to task for not doing enough for the average black American. “You know what’s so interesting about Tiger to me?” he asked Bryant Gumbel in HBO’s Real Sports. “He will run over you, he will kick your ass. But as an individual for social change? Terrible! Terrible! Teaching kids to play golf. That’s his contribution to the real world with the kind of power he’s got?”
One of the few uplifting stories is David Duval’s return to form. He emerged from an eight-year slump with a second-place finish at the US Open. Entering the tournament ranked 882nd in the world, he defied his lowly status with a superb display. His performance represents a remarkable change of fortune for a man whose career declined immediately after securing his maiden major at Royal Lytham eight years ago.
Lucas Glover, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson garnered all the headlines at the US Open in Bethpage, New York. However, the best story of this year’s championship was arguably David Duval. An improbable second place finish brought an ambivalent focus on a player who was expected to provide the stiffest challenge to an emerging Tiger Woods as the new millennium began.
“My confidence is back,” he said, “and I’m playing golf again. I was extremely disappointed not to win at Bethpage. There was no question in my mind I was going to win. The next week should be interesting. I’m excited. I’m juiced, to see where I can go. I’m passionate about the British Open. You won’t get any predictions but let’s just say I’m on the radar.”
It remains to be seen how far Duval will go; where he has come from represents one of the great comebacks in sport.
When Duval won the 2001 British Open, many expected his game to elevate, perhaps beyond the level of 1999 when he was ranked number one in the world. His pattern at all levels had been to break through and then move up. His freefall was startling and unrelenting. Various injuries – back, wrist, shoulder, neck – and adjustments in equipment led to bad swing habits; poor play, too much advice from innumerable teachers to a loss of confidence.
Most important of all, his putting stroke deserted him. The break up of an eight-year relationship with his girlfriend was especially devastating. In short order he was forgotten about and his professional days appeared to be over.
“I was never really comfortable with being No. 1. Getting there was great and I checked it off. I’m satisfied that at a point in my career I was the best at what I did. Being the best was never an overriding ambition. I don’t dwell on what might have been.
“I never worried about playing against Tiger. Nobody is going to be close to Tiger in winning Majors when he’s done. The great thing about golf is that it’s cyclical, the game, the way you play and the bounces you get. I always felt I would play great golf again but I’m at peace with where I am in life. Golf is no longer the most important thing in my life. My wife and family didn’t know me when I was an elite player. It would be neat for them to see how I can actually play this game. That’s a great incentive for me, no doubt about it.”
Duval is no stranger to adversity. His brother Brett was a major league baseball prospect before he got ill. A bone marrow transplant from David could not save him. The perception that he was aloof, introspective, and moody was well merited.
Invisible behind his trademark wraparound shades compounded the sense of aloofness even though a pollen allergy required him to wear them. “I had a lousy personality during those years, especially to those who didn’t know me. The perception didn’t bother me. I never hesitated to speak my mind. I’ve got in trouble for it in the past (especially his comments on pay for Ryder Cup play) but I was brought up to be a man, to speak my mind. I’m not interested in conveying a false image.”
The Duval image has changed considerably. “Yeah, I got more meat on my bones and I’m comfortable with myself.”
The wraparound shades are still there but now he takes them off after finishing play. He won’t be mistaken for Phil Mickelson any time soon but he is more accessible. Golf fans in New York were quick to pick up on the changes. “I got a lot of ribbing out there and some interesting comments, but it was good natured. There was no malice in it. I’m glad I was able to play well for those guys. This was Phil’s week but I felt like I connected with the fans in my own way.”
Not only is Duval playing well, he is relevant again. In recent years he said that his game was almost there, that he was close, the top 10 was within reach. When the results didn’t match his words, fans stopped listening and with good reason. No top 10 finish since 2002. Eight made cuts in 49 starts in 2003-05. No finish better than 36th in 2007. Five made cuts in 20 starts and a rank of 219th in earnings last year. He was regarded as a bit player. Notwithstanding the statistics, Duval showed the first putative signs of a revival at last year’s Open (Royal Birkdale).
After opening rounds of 73 and 69, he was the featured pairing with Pádraig Harrington for Saturday’s third round. Fighting winds with gusts of up to 50mph, Duval shot himself out of contention with an 83. What a striking contrast there is between the two players this year; Harrington is not playing well as he tries for three in a row. Duval is well aware of Harrington’s predicament.
“The guy’s won three majors so I’d be the last to offer any advice! I know what it’s like to be working hard, pressing and not getting results. He will, of course, be a factor. There’s a tournament in every player’s life, I’ve never known what to call it, an epiphany, a revelation, where things break just right to show you what you can do. I think the Open does that for Paddy. I saw up close what he did last year; I think his short pitch and putt game will be a big asset this year.”
Injuries and family issues aside, after years of frustrating trial and error, Duval finally made the adjustments in his game to pave the way for his resurgence. He ranked first in birdies and putting at Bethpage. His ball striking was accurate and he kept coming back from adversity. Duval’s US Open showing was the culmination of four years of work. “I started restoring my swing in 2005 and went back to what worked in the early years. I called on the ol’ boys, Puggy (Blackmon former college coach) and my dad (golf professional Bob Duval).” David Leadbetter was clearly not getting the job done with his golf swing and Bob Rotella never stood a chance. Bob Duval is David’s only real teacher, according to Blackmon.
In the meantime, Duval married Susie Persichette and a ready-made family of three. With the arrival of two more kids, “I was in love with life and passionate about golf again. For the first time as a golf pro I found a balance and happiness.” Fit in mind and body and with a “simpler swing,” Duval was ready to take his game on the Tour.
He posted the lowest back nine score of the second round (32) 2006 Masters, and he tied for 16th at the US Open – fleeting but significant markers. His progress was halted when he stayed home for most of 2007 during his wife’s difficult pregnancy. His return has been marked by inconsistency, occasional brilliant rounds but never four in a row. Bethpage changed that and he earned far more in the US Open ($559,830) than he had in the four previous seasons combined.
Away from golf, Duval remained close to his father who continues to be a big influence. “One of the greatest things I learned from him is that whatever happens you just have to accept it and continue. You always build on what you’ve done, who you are. We are all going to make mistakes. But what you do next is truly in your hands. I think I learned what patience is being around him. That’s stood to me through the years where nothing seemed to be going in my favour. Patience is crucial in this game.
“I know I can win again. I know what to do with my game when it’s there, especially in pressure situations. The competition is what I missed most. I love competing. Yes there is unfinished business. I believe I can win more majors. Puggy tells me I’m destined to win the Masters and he won’t go to his grave until I win one.”
The time away from golf has given him a more appreciative perspective. “I think I know more than most about what great golf’s about and what bad golf’s about. I’ve won a major, I’ve won a Vardon Trophy. I’ve won the money title and 13 Tour events. If I stayed away from the game I’ve had a nice career. It’s about taking the good with the bad. I don’t care who you are or what you do, in the long run there has to be balance – in your game and your life.”
When asked who will win at Turnberry, a course he has never played, Duval doesn’t hesitate. “Tiger’s gonna win this week. To me it’s a question of by how many. Sure the conditions may come into play. Tiger got the worst end of the draw regarding the weather at Bethpage but that’s not why he lost the tournament. He couldn’t buy a putt. If he gets his putter going this week, the rest of us are really playing for runner up positions.”
David Feherty has an interesting Duval comment: “It’s nice to see that he really does have eyes. I like his new pudgy look as well. He’s starting to make me look sexy for f**k’s sake. I tell you one thing. Don’t be surprised if his next win is a Major, if not this week then in the near future.” At 80/1, perhaps good each way value.
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