Can You Beat David Duval at Golf?

A couple of years ago, that question would have elicited a hearty laugh from anyone not ranked in the top 10 on the PGA Tour. And for good reason. Not long ago, Duval was the indisputable #1 player in the world and was kicking Tiger's A-Game arse.

Now, that very same question will strike a pause when posed to any single-digit handicapper. Some will answer a confident, "Yes."

How? Well, after Duval won the 2001 British Open, a combination of injuries, equipment changes, Hank Haney swing advice, family changes, and withering confidence sent his game into a downward spiral of despair. Sadly, his game sunk to unbelievable depths last week at the easiest PGA tournament, the 2005 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic. In this event, amateurs play with the pros for 4 rounds, so the course is set up for scoring. However, it didn't help Duval. He played poorly from the start, shooting 6-over on his opening nine holes to end up with an 82 in his first round. Unfortunately, that wasn't his worst round of the tournament.

When Duval started the third round with a birdie, things looked on the up and up. But after making the turn, his wheels didn't just fall off, they flew off faster than Pam Anderson's top at a nude beach. Somehow Duval shot 13-over on the back nine including 4 triples! I'm no stranger to triples, but I can't remember the last time I had 4 of them in a round, let alone over 9 holes. For a pro, one triple in a round is an anomaly. Two is awful. Three is gawdawful. Four is a mortal sin. But four in a half-round is just unheard of. I doubt Tiger shoots 4 triples total in an entire year.

Duval finished his 3rd round with an 85, close to 17 shots over the course average of 68.8. Remember, this is the same tournament where David shot a 59 in 1999 (on the more difficult PGA West Arnold Palmer Private Course). Can you imagine getting 26 strokes worse in 6 years? This is indeed a wicked game that we play...