David Duval in Contention at British Open

(Honeyfield/Flickr)

I WAS STILL TRYING TO GET USED to Greg Norman being in contention at the British Open, someone who now plays more tennis than golf, when another ghost from golf’s not-too-distant past appeared on the British Open leaderboard.

David Duval? Is that you? Are you kidding me?

This is like a British Open funhouse where you stare into the TV screen and everything is distorted.

Former world No. 1 Greg Norman, a 53-year-old newlywed who considered this a tune-up for the Senior British Open, is one shot off the 36-hole lead held by K.J. Choi. Then there’s Duval, who had made one cut in 12 events coming into The Open Championship. If Duval’s opening 73 on a foul weather day wasn’t surprising enough, he backs it up with a nifty little 69.

Can anybody tell me what’s going on here? Am I in some sort of alternate golf reality? Are my TV and Internet playing tricks on me?

I was getting ready to leave this afternoon when I spotted Duval on the closing holes of his second round. I stuck around. I had to see this.

Wearing wraparound shades on a gray, misty day, it was the same David Duval, an expressionless and robotic golfer. Only he’s bulked up in new places. There he was saving pars out of pot bunkers and thigh-high rough. I blinked. He was still there.

First-round leader Rocco Mediate is still hanging around at plus two. Phil Mickelson rebounded with a 68 after an opening 79. Lefty will be around for the weekend, but I don’t see him getting back into this thing. But who knows in this bizarre British Open?

Unlike Sandy Lyle, who walked off the course during round one when he was 11 over par, John Daly completed his disastrous second round, an 89.

If anybody thought golf couldn’t be interesting without Tiger Woods, they might want to tune in this weekend.

−The Armchair Golfer

Related:
2008 British Open TV Schedule

Breakfast of Golf Champions?

Gotta have the double order of hash browns.
–David Duval, on Waffle House

LAST FRIDAY my friend Golf Blogger posted about the AP story on David Duval grubbin’ at Waffle House.

“I had eggs, chicken, toast, grits and a double order of hash browns,” Duval told the AP. “Gotta have the double order of hash browns.”

As a Florida native and Georgia Tech grad, you would expect Duval to sidle up to a Waffle House counter. After all, Waffle Houses are thicker than fleas on a wet dog in the South. But what’s up with San Diego native Phil Mickelson and his Waffle House habit?

I’ve read Lefty also loves WH, especially during Masters week. In fact, Ian O’Connor once wrote that Phil left a waitress a $94 tip for his $6 Waffle House breakfast.

If you live up north, you’re not very likely to stumble across a Waffle House. The Onion once published a story that said the Mason-Dixon Line was renamed the IHOP-Waffle House Line. Don’t believe it, even though it makes perfect sense.

Anyway, I smell a breakfast trend among PGA Tour pros.

–The Armchair Golfer

Related:
Waffle House May Hold Key to Masters

In Search of David Duval

(Honeyfield/Flickr)

PEOPLE WONDER what happened to David Duval, who once held the world No. 1 ranking for 15 weeks. I know they wonder because their searches bring them to this blog for any Duval scraps they can find.

That was especially true this past week since Duval teed it up at the Wachovia Championship. I think many were curious to see how he’d do. Not well. He missed the cut with rounds of 79-73.

Langston Wertz Jr. of The Charlotte Observer reported the following:

“Friday in the second round of the Wachovia Championship, Duval showed flashes of the game he thought he had.

“After shooting a miserable 7-over 79 Thursday, Duval rolled through the back nine with a hot putter on Friday.

“Starting his round on the 10th tee, he birdied four of his first six holes and looked much like the guy who was once at the top of the golf world, making magazine covers and looking at Tiger Woods in his rear-view mirror.

“Duval strutted to the 18th green, the final hole on his front side, his familiar wrap-around shades poking from underneath a white cap. Duval slid a birdie putt past the hole but had gotten to 4-under for the day when he stepped onto the tee box at No. 3, his 12th hole of the day.

“It unraveled from there.”

I think it’s pretty clear that David’s golf game has hit rock bottom. The numbers tell the story. Duval has played in eight events this season and made no cuts. (He withdrew from the Northern Trust Open.) His 2008 earnings are a goose egg and he’s plummeted to No. 906 in the world rankings.

The former world No. 1 player who aspired to make the 2008 Ryder Cup team now must simply try to make a cut. He’s expected to play in the AT&T Classic in two weeks.

−The Armchair Golfer

WD for David Duval at Riviera

L.A. not fine for Duval.
(Eddie Honeyfield/Flickr)


I was scanning the first-round scores at the Northern Trust Open (L.A. Open) at Riviera Country Club when I spotted David Duval at the bottom of the list with a WD alongside his name.

Duval started on the back nine and shot a 41 with four bogeys and a double. After bogeying his first two holes on the front, David apparently had had enough.

The official reason for his withdrawal was a neck injury.

Duval is playing on a Major Medical Extension after caring for his wife and children for most of the 2007 season. He must win over $700,000 in 20 events to keep his playing privileges for the entire season.

I’m not going to say he can’t do it, but it’s looking real tough from where I’m sitting. Duval has won a little more than a half million since 2004, most of that coming in 2006 when he earned $318,276 in 24 events.

The Armchair Golfer

David Duval, Weekend Golfer

(Mark Kimmet/Flickr)

In case you haven’t heard, David Duval is back after a seven-month break. Duval is playing in the Viking Classic in Madison, Mississippi.

Good news for Duval fans, too. He’ll play the weekend after posting 72-69.

Duval stayed home this year due to his wife’s difficult pregnancy. Baby Sienna arrived last month and mother and daughter are doing well. Duval’s last event was the Nissan Open in February.

The Armchair Golfer