Duval Can Stomach a Major After Gut-Wrenching Masters

Chances are, it’s going to be a memorable Memorial this weekend, especially in the Young Star Department.

Tiger Woods, Ernie Els and Justin Leonard are all playing at Muirfield Village in Ohio, and so is David Duval, who might be performing better than the other three--except he hasn’t won a major.

Why, when Duval won his fifth tournament in his last 12 starts, at Houston this month, Golf World anointed him America’s Best Player. Must be, because when Woods won the next week at the BellSouth in Duluth, Ga., the magazine didn’t yank the title rug from under Duval’s feet.

Duval, 26, has played 10 tournaments this year and finished out of the top 30 only when he missed the cut at Torrey Pines.

But a second-place finish, not a victory, might be the turning point in Duval’s career, or at least the way he plays in majors. Duval shot a 67 in the final round of the Masters, which would have been good enough except that Mark O’Meara birdied three of the last four holes and the final two to win by one shot.

Duval said he has learned from the experience.

“It was a kick in the stomach,” he said. “But I think it does give you more confidence. I think I’ve learned to rely on my head a lot more than on my game.”

As for his role in the ongoing Best Player Category, Duval doesn’t really want to get involved in that.

“I don’t think you can say there is a best player in the world week in and week out,” Duval said. “I think you can look back at the end of the year and say who the best player was.”

He said he didn’t think it would be fair to answer when asked if he was the best player in the world.

“If I say yes, then I am arrogant. If I say no, I have no confidence.”

OR YES SE RI

Now it can be told: Se Ri Pak, the 20-year-old from South Korea who recently won her first major at the McDonald’s LPGA Championship, is known by another name in her homeland.

It’s “Super Se Ri.”

Yes, we’re totally Se Ri Us.

CLUB NEWS

So, just how worried is Callaway Golf Co. that the U.S. Golf Assn. will adopt some restrictions on golf equipment, specifically some types of metal woods?

Apparently, very.

Callaway took out full-page ads in Wednesday’s Wall Street Journal and New York Times to express its displeasure with the USGA’s apparent intentions.

MORE CLUB NEWS

Orlimar, which makes the new TriMetal club, has hired Coopers & Lybrand to study a possible public stock offering. Orlimar expects its revenue, which was $1.5 million in 1997, to exceed $50 million this year.

NO FREE RIDE

When Casey Martin tries to qualify for the U.S. Open in sectional qualifying June 8 at Cincinnati, he will have his work cut out. There are 10 current or former PGA Tour pros in the field of 69. Five players will qualify for the U.S. Open, June 18-21 at the Olympic Club in San Francisco.

DON’T FORGET HIM

It’s probably going to be a little different when it gets closer to the British Open and everybody starts remembering that Leonard is the guy who won it last year, but for some reason, he is often the odd man out when people start mentioning the other young major winners, Els and Woods.

“I don’t put a lot of emphasis on being in a specific group or category or being left out,” Leonard said.

“Those guys have enjoyed a huge amount of success. I have had mine maybe a little more gradually compared to them. I think it’s difficult to compare us because of the differences in the kinds of game. It’s a little easier to compare maybe Ernie and Tiger as far as their specific games because they’re a little more similar, more of a power game.

“But if you’re just going off records, I think [Els and Woods] and David Duval and Phil Mickelson have the best records. But I can see ways to get better.”

BUT THE END WAS GOOD

How to win the NCAA tournament: bogey, bogey, bogey to start.

This is not recommended, of course, but it’s the path Jennifer Rosales followed last week at University Ridge in Madison, Wis., where the 19-year-old USC freshman from Manila pulled herself together to close with a 72 and win by three shots.

Rosales wasn’t entirely certain, but she was fairly sure three consecutive bogeys and then an hourlong rain delay isn’t the best way to start.

“I thought it was the end of the world,” she said.

Not exactly. Instead, Rosales went on to make USC history. She is the school’s first individual national champion in women’s golf.

Rosales, who didn’t enroll at USC until the spring semester, won the 1996 junior world crown and the 1997 Optimist Junior World title. She carries her rosary with her when she plays, she’s a long hitter, she wants to play on the LPGA Tour and her dream fivesome consists of Els, Annika Sorenstam, Pete Sampras, Michael Jordan and herself.

LIGHTING UP

At Woodley Lakes in Van Nuys, they recently started keeping the lights on until 10 p.m., which might make the layout the only lighted, grass driving range in Los Angeles County.

ELEMENTARY

Quick, somebody alert the bookkeepers. Tom Watson’s victory at the Colonial last weekend was his 34th, right?

Sort of.

As it turns out, the PGA Tour records are arcane. Watson actually has 39 victories, the same as Gene Sarazen, who is riding right there in ninth place on the all-time victory train.

Watson has five British Open titles, but the PGA Tour didn’t start counting the British Open as an official tour event until 1995. And even then, the tour didn’t make its decision retroactive.

So that means British Open victories by John Daly (1995), Tom Lehman (1996) and Leonard (1997) count, but Watson’s five (1975, ‘77, ‘80, ‘82, ‘83) don’t.

MORE WATSON

His win at Colonial was only his second in the last 11 years, during which time Watson was going through so much trouble on the greens, the hole must have seemed about the size of one of his freckles.

Anyway, before he won last weekend, somebody asked Watson if he still thinks golf is fun.

“When I’m not playing well, you don’t enjoy it nearly as much. In fact, at one time in my career, it got to where I hated the game. I just hated it. Yet, you realize that this game does that to you.

“People who play this game understand that very clearly.”

Watson’s check for $414,000 was the largest of his career. He has won $832,385 this year and $9,139,662 since he turned pro in 1972.

SHE CAN AFFORD A LAUGH

Tammie Green drove into some trees on the 13th hole Sunday at the LPGA’s Corning Classic in New York, but she didn’t mind.

“It was nice to be in the shade a little bit,” said Green, whose keen sense of humor was directly related to a seven-shot lead and winning, which she did.

BIRDIES, BOGEYS, PARS

Brandie Burton will host a tournament June 5 at California Country Club in Whittier to benefit the Spanish Trails Girl Scout Council. Details: (909) 624-6696.

The seventh Harold Green & Pacific Lodge Youth Services tournament will be held June 8 at Porter Valley Country Club in Northridge. The event benefits Pacific Lodge Youth Services. Details: (818) 347-1577.

The Los Angeles Times Finance/Bill Walton tournament will be held June 12 at California Country Club. The event benefits the Times Summer Camp Fund. Details: (213) 237-3529.

The 16th Greater Graz “Hawaiian Open” tournament will be held June 20 at Lakewood Country Club. The event benefits the South Bay Free Clinic in Manhattan Beach. Details: (310) 545-8322.

The Anteater Classic will be held June 22 at Mission Viejo Country Club. The event benefits the UC Irvine Athletic Scholarship Fund. Details: (949) 824-5550.

The 16th Bob Weinberg CHP 11-99 tournament will be played Aug. 14 at Los Coyotes Country Club in Buena Park. Details: (562) 947-1199.

The Woodley Lakes Golf Shop junior golf club classes begin June 6. Golfers 7-17 receive instruction in rules and etiquette, putting and chipping, swings and course strategy. Details: (818) 787-8163. . . . Arnold Palmer will be honored with the Caritas Award for his work to aid abused children Oct. 27 at a black tie dinner at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. The event benefits the Richstone Family Center. Details: (310) 970-1921, Ext. 30. . . . The Toshiba Senior Classic raised $700,000 for charity, with Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian receiving the majority. The 1999 event will be played March 8-14 at Newport Beach Country Club.