Duval Ached for a Return to Form

Remember David Duval? Quiet guy. Shot a 59 at the Bob Hope in 1999. Wears wraparound sunglasses the size of a windshield.

That David Duval won 11 tournaments in less than three years and began this year with a third-place finish at the Mercedes and a tie for fifth at the Hope. He was off and running again and it appeared that nothing short of Tiger Woods could stop him.

As it turned out, it wasn’t a person that got to Duval, but a body part. That would be Duval’s back, which basically let him down, big time. Strained ligaments in his lower back eventually forced Duval into a monthlong break between the U.S. Open and the British Open, then a 10-week break after St. Andrews until the Buick Challenge.

That’s where Duval showed something. He won. And you know what that meant . . . yes, he was back.

It’s hard to say that you’ve had something less than a terrific year when you win $2.46 million, but that’s the sort of perception that is stuck in Duval’s face as the season winds to another financially successful close.

“I think what happened is hard to assess,” he said. “The main reason is, I played most of the year hurt. My back bothered me for a lot longer than I let on. Not that I was trying to hide it or anything.”

From his position directly behind those jet black shades, Duval could hide any feelings he cared to. But as we have learned, that is not the way Duval chooses to operate.

When he took a stand that the players should receive some sort of compensation for playing the 1999 Ryder Cup, Duval was roundly criticized, even though he was entirely correct in his position and the PGA of America eventually agreed. He spoke out about being “lost in the shuffle” when compared to the up-and-coming, charismatic Sergio Garcia. He spoke out about the way he was often portrayed by the media.

His back problems were in full view of everyone, in the typical Duval fashion. The worst part was at the British Open, where he shot himself out of the tournament with a closing 75. Duval’s back was hurting so badly, he could barely bend over. Afterward, he could not sit down.

Months before, Tiger Woods said he recognized that Duval was not himself.

“You could see him not going after the ball like he used to,” Woods said. “His speed had slowed down and that’s the first thing that goes when you have a back problem.”

At the British Open, Woods said Duval was able to get away with his bad back, for the most part, because he could hit the ball low and the ball would run on the dry and hard fairways to give him distance.

But Duval was forced to the sideline. He could have headed there a lot earlier, though. As early as the Nissan Open at Riviera in late February, Duval’s back was bothering him.

“I was compensating for the pain, with my posture, the way I was walking, a lot of things,” he said. He is certain that he wrecked his mechanics when he was forced to compensate for the muscle problems in his back, which he traced to overuse.

Duval had to withdraw from the Qwest International the first week of August and rested until the Buick Challenge the first week of October. Duval shot a 65 on Sunday and finished at 19 under par. More important, his back no longer hurt.

“That’s about the first time I could stand up to hit normally,” said Duval, 29, who shot a 68 Saturday at Sherwood Country Club in the third round of the $3.5-million Williams World Challenge.

Duval tied for seventh at the Tour Championship, won $180,000, and ended the regular PGA Tour season. This week, Duval is playing the World Golf Championship event in Argentina, then hitting the slopes at Sun Valley, Idaho, to snowboard. Then it’s another year and, hopefully, a healthy one for Duval.

“I sure hope that’s what it is,” he said. “I don’t foresee any problems, unless some freak thing happens. All I know is that I feel better.”

Just be careful on that snowboard.

*

Garcia knocked his second shot in the water at No. 18 to finish with a double bogey, but he still leads Woods by one shot after the third round of the Williams World Challenge.

Garcia shot a 69 and is at 18-under 198 while Woods is at 17-under 197 after his round of 67.