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DEL.ICIO.USDuval’s magic short-lived
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Furman Bisher
Mamaroneck, N.Y. — After the arousal inspired by his round of 68 Friday, low score of the day, there was promise that David Duval was on his way back, if not already there. For the moment, he could fill the void left in the 106th U.S. Open by Tiger Woods, an absence extravagantly mourned by the regional media. Duval had found apparent comfort back in harness with the coach of his Georgia Tech days, Puggy Blackmon. It had not, however, softened the bite in his attitude toward the press, which he appears to view as unbearable.
“I guess you haven’t been listening,” Duval said rather snippily in answer to a question about the state of his game. “I’ve been saying that for I don’t know how long, and nobody seems to listen. I’ll say it again: I’m playing well. I made some putts, and the little things added up a bit better today than they have for the past six months.”
Though that self-analysis might have begged further examination, the interview moved forward with just one biting retort about having finally made a cut in a major championship for the first time since the PGA Championship four years ago. “I guess that’s the difference between you and me,” he answered. “I don’t think that way.”
Taking to the course Saturday afternoon, paired with Mike Weir of Canada, both 5 over par, there was no doubt that this was Duval’s gallery. They squeezed in tight, lining both sides of the fairway, and they filled the air with exhortations for him, the old “go get ‘em, David” kind of stuff. When he saved par with a 20-foot putt on the second green — a portrait of beauty, shadowed by a huge elm —there was a brief outbreak of optimism and more encouraging yowls. It was if they were looking for somebody to cheer in Tiger Woods’ absence, as when one small voice cried out, “C’mon, David, the British Open,” however that might be translated.
Duval’s response was a wave of the hand, not ready yet to accept this renewed relationship.
This would all be short-lived, as he turned the front nine losing four more strokes, but even with two birdies on the back side, the glitter of the Friday round faded away. From 5 over to 10 over. He has confirmed that he will return to the British Open, at Hoylake, for the fifth and last year of exemption that came with his last winning championship in 2001.
Meanwhile, the leaderboard was a splatter of change, movement up and down, like stock market quotations on a partcularly sensitive day. The galleries still couldn’t quite get a grip on Steve Stricker, what to make of a player who only last winter was straggling through qualifying school just a few seasons after ranking fourth on the PGA Tour. Phil Mickelson was up and down and all over the place, but still keeping the leaders in gunsight, and closing in the Winged Foot dusk.
Strangely enough, Colin Montgomerie had found supporters after years of claptrap exchanges with galleries from coast to coast. He had started the round a shot behind Stricker, but by the fourth hole he had lost four strokes and was finding Winged Foot as wretched as that of the “massacre of ‘74.”
Just when it seemed nobody was capable of winning this championship, Mickelson began to steady his ship and show signs of taking matters in hand. This is not to ignore the 27-year-old Englishman, Kenneth Ferrie, winner of the European Open last year. He persisted in holding firm and firming up his bid to join the choir of majors champions that have arisen from obscurity to fame on this side of the water or the other. To wit, Paul Lawrie, Ben Curtis and Todd Hamilton, upset winners of the British Open; Rich Beem and Shaun Micheel, winners of the PGA Championship, and Michael Campbell, who returned to his place in golf’s oblivion Friday.
So we all await the climax of this fairy tale today. Heaven knows who or how, if Mickelson will tighten his grip on the brass ring, or if, as in 1974, some player will come off the back row and win at several strokes over par. That champion was only beginning to establish his ground. Hale Irwin would win three U.S. Opens before he was through.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment | Categories: Furman Bisher
Comments
By I Bleed White and Gold!
June 18, 2006 10:13 AM | Link to this
C’mon Furman.
David is one of the good guys! You have never in the fifty years I’ve been reading your columns been one to hit a man when he’s down.
Don’t start now.
I’m a long time admirer of your work.
By PGA Bob
June 18, 2006 01:10 PM | Link to this
Duval is a likeable guy and people back him in much the same way they do Daly. Both guys have experienced real world problems that the fans can identify with. I hope that David finishes strong today and carries that into the British.
By Jason
June 18, 2006 09:46 PM | Link to this
How about re-thinking this column Furman? The guy went out today and shot +1 and finished tied for 16th. Go ask Monty, or especially Micklelson if they would gladly change scores with Duval today. They would in a heart beat!! DD is back, and it will only be time before he is once again a main stage player on the PGA tour once again.
Go DD!