Curtis (79), Duval (74) Keep a Stiff Upper Lip

A short, first-round, over-par tale of two former British Open champions (it’s not a pretty one) ...

Ben Curtis, the come-from-nowhere British winner in 2003, and David Duval, the 2001 champion, combined to shoot 11 over par in Thursday’s opening round at Riviera Country Club.

Curtis skidded into the clubhouse at eight-over 79.

“Coming into this week, I felt like I was playing better,” Curtis said. “Tuesday, Wednesday, I was feeling really good. Today, it seemed to go downhill.... The West Coast never has been good to me.”

Just call Curtis a slow PGA starter.

Curtis’ best result this year was a tie for 71st at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic. He missed the cut at the Buick Invitational and FBR Open.

Meanwhile, the adventures of Duval continued, although his three-over 74 was one of his better rounds of the year when you consider he has posted rounds of 79, 82, 79, 85, 85 and 79.

“I’ve been practicing real well; I just haven’t been playing well,” Duval said Thursday.

Duval’s free-fall from the world’s No. 1 ranking has been well-chronicled, although he said he’s trying to keep his game in perspective.

“It’s easy at times to win golf tournaments and shoot 59,” Duval said, “and sometimes it’s hard to post an 85. I’m just going to keep doing it, keep working it.”

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For Mike Weir, there is no more strolling the fairways of golf tournaments, that steely look in his eyes and a sub-par round in the making, without creating much stir.

Thursday, in the first round, on his first hole, Weir coaxed in a six-foot putt for birdie and the chant from the gallery began.

“Three-peat, three-peat.”

In Lakerland, of course, that phrase has a special ring. It would for Weir too, because a third consecutive win here would be unprecedented.

Asked about a three-peat, Weir said, “Yes, that would be great, a very big deal.”

Weir shot 67, four under par. He was one of seven who did so, trailing leader Brian Davis by two shots. Also in the group at 67 was Tiger Woods, who, like Davis, shot his score from an early tee time, before rain surrounded and pounded Riviera, starting in the early afternoon.

“We [late starters] weren’t dealt the best hand,” Weir said, “but I don’t mind a little rain. Used to play in it a lot in junior golf.”

Weir is from Canada, so weather issues are less severe for him.

“I played well today. I was happy,” he said. “I was driving the ball almost perfectly every time, and when you do that, it sets up everything else just right.”

Weir is on an unbelievable roll off the tee. In his final round at Pebble Beach on Sunday, where he finished second to Phil Mickelson, he didn’t miss a fairway. Here Thursday, his drive on his first hole, No. 10, trickled about three inches into the short rough and his drive on his last hole, No. 9, did the same thing. But for about seven inches, he would have hit 28 consecutive fairways.

He came within a gob of mud of an eagle on No. 1, a par five that he has now played at nine under in his last nine rounds here. He chipped his third shot from a small gully in front of the green, and the ball, heading right to the hole, stopped an inch short on a piece of mud.

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At 5 feet 9, 155 pounds, Weir is out-sized, but not often out-hit. Thursday, he consistently out-drove playing partners Corey Pavin and Jay Haas and though he ranks only 148th on the tour in driving distance, his 275.3 average is only 28 yards behind the top-ranked Woods’ 303.1.

Traveling with him is a strength coach, Jeff Handler, who said Thursday, “for a trainer, he is a dream.”

Handler said that, although their workouts are “golf specific,” what allows Weir to compete with bigger, stronger players is that “he is among the best athletes on the tour.”

“He can play any sport, and play it well,” Handler said. “He skis, plays hockey. If you have a pickup basketball game, he’ll be one of the best players.

“This guy is fit. When you have an entire PGA season, the guy who is fit is going to do a lot better at the end than somebody who isn’t. And Mike Weir is fit.”

*

A few players weighed in on the abrupt departure of two-time U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen, disqualified for missing his morning tee time for Wednesday’s pro-am.

Some players did not know there was such a rule, some did.

“I was aware of it, and I do have a couple of alarm clocks,” Darren Clarke said.

Adam Scott said “it’s a harsh rule, but it’s there.”

Why would the PGA Tour disqualify players for not playing in the pro-am?

Scott said, “I guess it’s so people don’t, you know, call up and say they don’t feel like playing the pro-am because they feel like they don’t want to spend six hours out there because it’s going to be slow or something.”

*

Mickelson’s golden touch is about to cross over into the world of publishing.

His book “One Magic Sunday (But Winning Isn’t Everything)” will hit the stores April 4, the Monday of Masters week. It is the story of a good walk unspoiled, a hole-by-hole journey to his Masters title last year that uses each hole as a conversation starter for storytelling and personal narrative.

The writer who collaborated with Mickelson and his wife, Amy, is Don Phillips of Dallas, who had a bestseller with Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski.

Phillips and Mickelson started the book Dec. 6 and have completed all but the final edits, a fast-track book if there ever was one.

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Mickelson’s magic on the golf course, specifically his second tour victory in a row last week at Pebble Beach, turned golden for CBS. Sunday’s national rating was a 4.0, an increase of 18% from last year. The two-day average, Saturday and Sunday, was a 3.58, an increase of 17%.

That made Mickelson’s runaway victory the highest-rated sports event last weekend.

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Clarke, one shot out of the lead with a 66, made a hole in one on No. 6. The hole is 167 yards, he hit a seven-iron and he seemed about as excited about it as a guy who had just taken out the garbage.

“A little bit of skill and a lot of luck,” he said.

Asked how many holes in one he has had, he said, “Don’t know. Don’t know, 25.... I’ve lost count.”