Hope Is Eternal for Duval, Who Returns to Scene of 59

For his first practice round as defending champion of the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, David Duval chose an all-black ensemble, which for once didn’t match his mood.

Duval has been sort of--how can we put this?--well, prickly, since he got roasted like a Cornish game hen over his stance in last year’s Ryder Cup compensation controversy, and his comments about the sorry shape Carnoustie was in for the British Open.

Keeping score for himself, Duval thinks his critics should have cut him some slack about the Ryder Cup, since he never actually mentioned the word “boycott.” True. It is also true that Duval never said Carnoustie was so overgrown, it gave hay a bad name, even though he could have said that and been totally correct.

Duval says he still is stung by the media criticism and wouldn’t mind someone apologizing to him. But we all know that’s about as likely to happen as Duval shooting a 59. Better make that a 49, since Duval already has proven he’s capable of throwing a 59 at this place.

“It’s going to take me a long time to get over it,” Duval said of the criticism. “I won’t lie to you about it.”

Nothing about Duval suggests anything but a straight-ahead, dead-on, aggressive approach, which may get him in hot water at times, but also serves him well on the golf course.

When the $3-million Bob Hope begins today at Bermuda Dunes, La Quinta Country Club, Indian Wells Country Club and the Palmer Course at PGA West, Duval has another chance to distance himself from last year’s unwanted headlines and to try to lay waste to these four birdie-belching mini-courses, as he did last year.

The question is, can he find a 59 out here again?

“Done that,” Duval joked. “Gotta go lower.”

Hey, anything seems possible in Birdieland, where Duval’s closing round of 59 at the Palmer Course put him at a winning 26 under. He was one shot better than Steve Pate, whose closing round of six-under 66 failed to catch Duval, but did not rob Pate of his senses. Pate accepted a runner-up check of $324,000 and said the only thing he could: “God bless the PGA Tour.”

Absolutely. But right now, everybody begins the third PGA Tour event trying to catch Duval, who at this time a year ago was far and away the best player. He won four times before the Masters, but it was here that he reached golf’s magic number. Duval joined Al Geiberger and Chip Beck as the only PGA Tour players to have shot 59s.

There was no special feeling out on the range before his memorable round that something great was going to happen, Duval says. He did have some sort of feelings, though, once he got going.

“Like I was spacing out,” Duval said.

Duval doesn’t have a long wait to see if he can drop another 59 on the Palmer Course, since he plays his first round there today. Pitcher Roger Clemens is part of Duval’s foursome, which follows what is probably the most intriguing foursome of the tournament: Arnold Palmer, Rush Limbaugh, Tom Glavine and Chris Chandler.

Casey Martin is at Indian Wells for his debut as a PGA Tour pro.

As for Duval, what he wants to accomplish this year is to win a major or two and he isn’t reluctant to discuss it. Duval is eloquent when he chooses to be and the subject of winning majors represents a departure from his usual stance of not talking about goals.

But he has a good reason for doing it this way.

“I won’t get asked about my goals all the time,” Duval said. “These are my goals, my intentions so everybody knows. Now, let’s talk about some other stuff.”

He enjoys the Hope, doesn’t mind the slow play, ignores distractions, says there is not as much separation between Tiger Woods and everybody else as most believe and is learning to like his new golf attire by Italian designer Mossimo.

“I’m more comfortable every day,” he said.

He was talking about the clothes, wasn’t he?

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Bob Hope Chrysler Classic

The winner of PGA’s third event in 2000 will earn $540,000 of the $3 million in prize money:

* When: Today through Sunday at Bermuda Dunes Country Club (host course), Indian Wells Country Club, La Quinta Country Club and the Palmer Course at PGA West.

* TV: ESPN noon-2 p.m. today and Thursday; ESPN 1-3 p.m. Friday; ABC noon-3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

* Format: Each pro plays with three different amateurs on different courses the first four days. On Sunday, the low 70 pros and ties play the final 18 holes at Bermuda Dunes.

* Defending champion: David Duval, 26-under 334, by one shot over Steve Pate.

Of note: Paul Azinger, who won the Sony Open last week, withdrew because of flu and was replaced by Shaun Micheel.

* Players to watch: Fred Couples, John Daly, Arnold Palmer, Gary Nicklaus, Casey Martin, Davis Love III, Phil Mickelson.

* Celebrities to watch: Rod Laver, Ann Meyers Drysdale, Glen Campbell, Alice Cooper, Boomer Esiason, Bill Murray, John Elway, Jerry Rice.

Other Tournaments

LPGA

SUBARU MEMORIAL

OF NAPLES

* Site: Naples, Fla.

* Course: The Club at The Strand (6,328 yards, par 72).

* Purse: $850,000.

* Winner’s share: $127,500.

* TV: The Golf Channel (Thursday-Sunday, 2:30-5 p.m.)

* Last week: Karrie Webb, last season’s player of the year, won The Office Depot in West Palm Beach, Fla., by four strokes over Juli Inkster.

* Last year: Meg Mallon won, closing with a five-under 67 for a one-stroke victory over Helen Alfredsson and Kelly Robbins. Mallon had a 16-under 272.

SENIOR PGA

MASTERCARD CHAMPIONSHIP

* Site: Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

* Course: Hualalai Golf Club (6,850 yards, par 72).

* Purse: $1.2 million.

* Winner’s share: $200,000.

* TV: ESPN (Friday, 2-4 p.m.; Saturday, 7-9 p.m.; Sunday, 5:30-7:30 p.m.)

* Last year: John Jacobs finished with a 13-under 203 for a three-stroke victory over Raymond Floyd and Jim Colbert.