Golf

Duval wants to play just for fun of it

By BOB HARIG
Published February 3, 2005

The clues were there before the season began. David Duval, who took most of last year off after losing his game, had barely practiced this winter, spending it in his adopted hometown of Denver.

For a guy who spent most of the past two seasons in golf hell, it didn't sound like a return to glory was imminent.

Still, we didn't expect gory.

That was the case at last week's Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, a tournament Duval won in 1999 by shooting a final-round 59 at PGA West, one of just three in PGA Tour history.

On the same course, Duval opened with an 82.

His third-round 85 included a back-nine 49 at Tamarisk Country Club, where he made four triple bogeys from holes 10 through 16.

Duval hit just 48 percent of the greens in regulation, which is hardly a surprise when you consider he hit just 34.5 percent of the fairways.

And yet, during the fourth round of the five-day event, Duval shot 72, showing there is some ability left in the former No. 1 player who won the 2001 British Open.

But he finished 20 strokes worse than 55-year-old Lanny Wadkins, who was next-to-last in the field.

Duval has said he plans to play 18 to 20 events this year, but it is obvious he is not consumed by the desire to be No. 1 again. Last year he got married and tried to shake a series of injuries and swing flaws that led to his demise. And he hinted that reaching the top was not all he thought it would be.

"I'd just like to enjoy the atmosphere again," Duval told reporters before his first event, the Buick Invitational, where he shot an opening 79 and then withdrew. "Maybe it's my personality, but I've never dealt with the things that go with it very well, being No. 1 and those things. As much as anything, I would like to be out playing and enjoying the atmosphere. That's the first big step."

It appears it will be a long journey.

WORLD TRAVELER: South Africa's Tim Clark must have really, really wanted to play last week's Bob Hope tournament, which started on Wednesday. After winning the South African Airways Open in his native country, Clark traveled 30 hours to California. He arrived at 4 p.m. on Tuesday and didn't get in a practice round.

"I really didn't expect a whole lot," he said.

How about a tie for second and $413,600?

STEADY START: Tampa's Ryuji Imada, a rookie on the PGA Tour, has made the cut in his first three Tour events, including a tie for 12th at the Hope. He has earned $121,976, which puts him 42nd on the money list.

ONE IS ENOUGH: Perhaps figuring he could not top last fall's nine-point victory over the Americans, Bernhard Langer said he would not consider staying on as captain of the European Ryder Cup team next year. Langer, 47, would like to play on the team instead.

"It is the turn of one of my colleagues to take the reins," Langer said.

Those considered in the running are England's Nick Faldo, Scotland's Sandy Lyle and Wales' Ian Woosnam. A decision is expected in March.

Meanwhile, Langer tied for fifth at the Buick Invitational and tied for 23rd at the Hope.

LOCALLY: The Tampa Bay area's largest Demo Day will be at the Missing Links Driving Range on Feb. 19 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event is free, and golfers can sample equipment from companies including Titleist, Cobra, Callaway, Cleveland Golf, TaylorMade, Wilson, Ping, Power Bilt and Top-Flite. A True Temper machine also will be in use to help golfers determine the proper shaft for their clubs. For information, call 727 586-4400. ... Hale Irwin, who won for the 41st time on the Champions Tour on Sunday, is in the field for the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am Feb. 25-27. The tournament at the TPC of Tampa Bay also has commitments from Curtis Strange, Tom Kite, Craig Stadler and Fuzzy Zoeller. For information, call (813) 265-4653 or visit www.outbackproam.com

Information from other news organizations was used in this report.

[Last modified February 3, 2005, 01:08:13]