I never knew much about David Duval.Having discovered golf only a few short years ago myself, I'd essentially missed his story.
On occasion his name would come up... most recently at the US Open this past summer, when his T2 finish led to unfulfilled hopes of a comeback. More often though, it was in a post about another players's monumental reversal of fortunes... another great golfer, like Ernie Els or Michelle Wie, at risk of falling off the map.
It was like... every time some sarcastic scribe got the urge to predict a golfer's rapid decline, they'd gleefully pull out the name of David Duval. Duvalesque even became a legitimate golf adjective. Like Van de Veldian... only worse. I sensed there had been an epic demise, and I knew there was something extraordinary about the David Duval story, but I wasn't totally sure I wanted to know what it was. Unlike some in this business, I hate a demise.
At the conclusion of yesterday's AT&T Pebble Beach National ProAm, David Duval had posted four rounds in the 60s at a 72-hole event for the first time since 2001... and his renaissant comeback was the biggest story of the tournament. It seemed like even the most cynical of golf writers were expressing their cautious optimism. The the desire for a story of redemption in these less-than-optimistic times was palpable.
So I decided I'd better do a bit of research into a player who was no more than an unknown enigma to me. ~ Of course in the end I spent several hours on David Duval... That's how compelling his story is. I read about his ascent to golf glory and the number one spot in the world in 1999... and his ultra-dramatic 59 that year at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic... his Tour Championship and Open Championship wins and the winning day he shared with his Dad. Inspiring, heartwarming stories like that. Of course I also read myriad stories of the "skydive-without-a-parachute leap into obscurity" that ensued. Over the years he's been called aloof and arrogant and brash. He's also been described as as cerebral, shy and sensitive. I won't rehash it here as most already know it. But suffice to say that by the time I finished my research, I fully understood the David Duval thing that had just taken place in Monterey. I just went over to Mr. Duval's wall and joined a couple of hundred other fans to wish him luck going forward and I think we'd all love to see this be the real return.
Duval's game was so hot for a short period, that I think most people believed he would be the most serious contender to Tiger for years to come. Unfortunately, he couldn't handle the fame and pressure that came with being golf's number one, and it all came crashing in on him psychologically and emotionally.
ReplyDeleteI still remain a big fan of Duval's. I hope he returns to the form that made him such a dominant force on tour.
Also, thanks for the link to his FB fan page. He just got another follower. :-)
For me, the David Duval is far and away the most interesting story in all of golf. To some degree, everyone who has played golf has felt like Duval at some point. The difference is the golfing public never fell from the world #1 ranking.
ReplyDeleteOver the past few years, I've heard many hackers use his name as the butt of jokes about poor play. The thing is 99.99% of the population will ever have the fraction of this man's natural given talent. You can hold that much talent down forever and he will be back to some degree.
I really enjoyed his interview answers after the event yesterday.
http://www.pgatour.com/2010/tournaments/r005/02/14/transcript.duval.4/index.html
For years David Duval has been bad mouthed by many golf journalists. At his peak he was uncomfortable in the spotlight...the media pushed harder, and he threw up a wall. When his game faded those same journalists showed no mercy!
ReplyDeleteIn the years since..we have watched him work. His perseverance and stubborn refusal to quit have earned the respect of those same journalists.
Will he return to the #1 world ranking? He is the ONLY player in the Tiger Era to do it with Tiger playing full time...he has the skill.
My prediction last Fall was that Duvall will not only win again....but will have another great streak of wins, and it will include a major!
I followed Duval around when he won the Nike Tour Championship at Pumpkin Ridge - and high-fived him after his hole-in-one on the third hole on Sunday. The lead swing on that hole was all he needed and he won with an un-needed birdie at 18. I've been a fan of his ever since and made my whole family one.
ReplyDeleteI find it inspiring to watch him battle back, time after time.
I just fanned his FB page too - thanks for the link!
It's very cool, & inspiring, to see Mr. Duval play so well. His priorities are intact.
ReplyDeleteHe sets high goals for himself. He works hard and he's committed to his family. Sounds like a winning combination to me.
Anyone who's played the game knows what it feels like to lose your way. I hope this is just the beginning of a sensational year for Mr. Duval. Wouldn't that be a story worth telling?
Double-D (as he has been called -- no relation to the "Ed, Edd & Eddy" character) was a literal machine in the late 90's, up till his British Open win in 2001. He said he won the Open and then asked himself, "Is this all?" That was the beginning of the descent. Injuries contributed to the fall, but it was that search for meaning that really took him down.
ReplyDeleteThrough it all, David never lost his sense of humor. For example, his Nike commercial, where his horrible swing in Tiger's garage sets off the car alarms while Tiger's head cover Frank lays him out, was a classic.
Now, like Michelle Wie, he has endured the kind of criticism that destroys most golfers, yet here he is. I've been believing he would successfully return to the top for about three years now... and I expect to be rewarded soon.
Keep watch, Patricia. This truly will be "one for the ages."
I have followed David's career because he is from my neighborhood, Venetia, in Jacksonville. His father was the club pro at Timucuana CC.
ReplyDeleteDavid's childhood was traumatic, as he endured painful donating of bone marrow to his brother, who died despite young David's sacrifice.
We got our hopes up last year with David's 2nd place tie in the US Open. Regardless of what David does the rest of the year--whether he earns his exemption for next year's tour--I will be pulling for him.
Steve Stricker has made a remarkable comeback from the depths he was at a few years ago. It can be done. I hope its David's turn.
The young golfers of today are going to be subject to more desperate and less disciplined media than their predecessors were, the Tiger Woods scandal being a final nail in the coffin of golf media civility.
ReplyDeleteDavid Duval had injuries that caused his game to decline and the journalists gave him a hard time... which messed up his confidence even more. Future players are going to have to deal with this kind of thing constantly. It'll be another skill they'll need to work on.
Nice post Patricia. Duval's story is a good one, I just hope he can keep his head clear enough to continue to play well. He's shown flashes of his prior life in the past few years but then disappeared again in to obscurity. I'm not on the bandwagon that he's "back" just yet. He'll never be "back" to the dominant form he once was on Tour. But I hope his game continues to improve and he's a presence on Tour again
ReplyDeleteWhen David Duval won his Open Championship at Lytham St Annes in 2001 he produced a winners speech that was gracious, polite and controlled.
ReplyDeleteHe won many new followers that day not only for his golf but for his humility in victory. A true golfing gentleman it is wonderful to have him back playing at the highest level and we look forward to his participation at the Open in St. Andrews during July.
Hi Patricia,
ReplyDeleteI am a new reader to your blog after having watched your podcast on itunes.
I am very new to golf, only started learning 3 months ago. I just returned from a visit to the in-laws who have cable and watched Duval at Pebble Beach.
So it is great for me to get updates from your blog about the various personalities involved in the game!
People forget about his severe battle with Vertigo ~ a crippling illness that can last a long time - my sister has it! Also, when he lost all that weight and got so buff, things seemed to start falling apart?? I love him and I am really rooting for him to get back as one of the top PGA players!
ReplyDeletePatricia, You don't see much mention of this fact. David had a very unhappy relationship situation. The lady left him totally debilitated and without confidence. It is my understanding that it was a broken heart more than any other injury which led to his precipitous downfall.
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