Tiger's Old Foe Returns to Masters | Print |  E-mail
Written by Justin Rydell   
Friday, 09 April 2010 09:20

The name David Duval may sound familiar. To avid golf fans, the name represents the glory days when Woods had a weekly competitor who could almost keep up with the world's No. 1 adulterer - ahem, clear throat - golfer.

Woods exploded onto the scene in '97 with a win at Augusta. But the next year, it was Duval who had his hopes of a green jacket stripped from him by a winding 80 foot putt from Mark O'Meara. 

From 1998 to 2001, Duval posted a pair of runner up finishes at Augusta and a third and sixth place finish.

And for a period of 14 weeks in 1999, Duval stripped Wood's of the title as No.1 golfer in the world.

p1_duval22_getty Woods return means more attention for golf, but a rivalvry like the one he had with Duval could mean even more. Courtesy Donald Miralle/Getty Images
A win at the 2001 British Open sealed a legacy that was well under way. With a major and 12 victories in little over three years, he had proven to be the only golfer who could consistently compete with Woods.

Avid golfer Victor Jaunzarins and Owner of Earthworks Landscape Development, a company  that installs artificial golf-greens was a large fan of Duval and a large fan of the competition he brought to Woods.

"He was one of the few that has ever been able to stand toe to toe with Tiger."

Jaunzarins said it's disappointing for him – and for all of golf – that the rivalry declined.

Duval fell from grace in 2001 with an ailing back and changed his focus from golf, to family. He took over a year off and tried to return in 2003, but his game was never the same.

Last year there was a spark of the greatness when he finished one shot off the winner at the U.S. Open guaranteeing his entry into this year Master's Tournament.

"If he is on [his game] Thursday, he will be on Sunday," said CPGA Assistant Golf Pro and Former Editor in Chief of theDailyplanet.com Michael Sutherland-Shaw.

Sutherland-Shaw says that he doesn't believe this will be a good weekend for Duval because he has been absent from the game for too long, "but, he's one of those golfers where if he's on, he's on. He is consistent."

Duval teed off yesterday, and came out of the gates shooting a solid 35 on the front nine, but inconsistency off the tee caught up with him as he fired a disappointing 76 to sit 9 shots off the lead.

But with strong finishes at previous tournaments this year fans are beginning to see a look at the old Duval, a heavier Duval, but still the same swing.

When it comes to the old rivalry he brought Wood’s, Jaunzarins says you just never know.

“Never say never, it could still be possible.”