David Duval, Dead Last

[Kalen Braley]

Tiger
Phil
Sergio
Vijay

 

[Anthony Gray]

Heretofore, I've never felt compelled to share this with the treehouse, but I had the good fortune of making David's acquaintance when he played in a collegiate event at Golf Club of Tennessee many years ago.    In an unusual twist, the players were provided caddies and since the club did not have a sufficient number on staff, I volunteered and somehow drew David's bag.  He turned out to be a fun and delightful young man with a keen intellect to go along with a strong golf game - a totally different personna than that portrayed by the wrap-around sunglasses and aloof demeanor.

We have stayed in touch though surprisingly have never teed it up together.  I sent him an e-mail alerting him to this thread, knowing full well that like me, he would get a big kick out of it.  David doesn't really give a crap what he shoots.  He has prospered financially, invested wisely and relishes the role of family man.  He looks at golf much like I do, appreciating the opportunity to play and enjoying every minute of it notwithstanding some dimishment in his playing skills and the attending frustration that all of us feel as our handicaps slip and our muscles occasionally ache.  

So proceed with your cheap shots to both his amusement and mine.  Just bear in mind he gets the last laugh.

Kindest regards,

Bogey

Best post on the thread, no surprise it came from Bogey.

There are maybe 5 golfers I hope win every week; David's one of 'em. A free GCA t shirt to anyone who can guess 4 others. I will send the other 4 to Huck in a private message to show that I'm not dodging the guesses.

  Jack Lambert
  Roy Gerela
  Richie Hebner
  Ditka

  Anthony

[George Pazin]

Heretofore, I've never felt compelled to share this with the treehouse, but I had the good fortune of making David's acquaintance when he played in a collegiate event at Golf Club of Tennessee many years ago.    In an unusual twist, the players were provided caddies and since the club did not have a sufficient number on staff, I volunteered and somehow drew David's bag.  He turned out to be a fun and delightful young man with a keen intellect to go along with a strong golf game - a totally different personna than that portrayed by the wrap-around sunglasses and aloof demeanor.

We have stayed in touch though surprisingly have never teed it up together.  I sent him an e-mail alerting him to this thread, knowing full well that like me, he would get a big kick out of it.  David doesn't really give a crap what he shoots.  He has prospered financially, invested wisely and relishes the role of family man.  He looks at golf much like I do, appreciating the opportunity to play and enjoying every minute of it notwithstanding some dimishment in his playing skills and the attending frustration that all of us feel as our handicaps slip and our muscles occasionally ache.  

So proceed with your cheap shots to both his amusement and mine.  Just bear in mind he gets the last laugh.

Kindest regards,

Bogey

Best post on the thread, no surprise it came from Bogey.

There are maybe 5 golfers I hope win every week; David's one of 'em. A free GCA t shirt to anyone who can guess 4 others. I will send the other 4 to Huck in a private message to show that I'm not dodging the guesses.

  Jack Lambert
  Roy Gerela
  Richie Hebner
  Ditka

  Anthony

Not a winner, winner, chicken dinner, but this is hilarious.

If I were going with Burgh jocks, it would be:

Danny
Danny
Danny
Danny
Levon

Does anyone even know the Levon I reference?

[Anthony Gray]

   Manny Sanguillen
  Bob Prince
  Syl Apps
  BB Flenory/ Sam Clancy

   KIRKLAND?

  Anthony (Hill District)

[George Pazin]

It is Levon Kirkland.

Sam Clancy is a good one. I should have thrown Clyde Vaughan into the mix, he should probably take the place of the 4th Danny. Jerome Lane might actually take the place of the 3rd Danny.

[Roger Wolfe]

i would rather be on tour finishing last... then working at my real job

he still lives a fantasy life... as does ian baker finch

[Anthony Gray]

i would rather be on tour finishing last... then working at my real job

he still lives a fantasy life... as does ian baker finch

  Ian Baker Finch is no Steve Blass.

  Tony Bag of Donuts

[Joe Bausch]

Interestingly, on TGC Wednesday Charlie Rymer picked David Duval as his upset special to win the tourney.

[Joel Zuckerman]

99% of the people on this site wish he had his game. 

Just 99%?  That means there are 15 guys in this DG who can beat him??

Wow--I had no idea the talent level here was so high!

[Mike Hendren]

Before I cause any more damage, I must let you know that my previous post on David Duvall was a total fabrication.  I had merely intended to counter-balance the Dog-Pile-On-David and ostensible delight that many take in his professional struggle, and planned to come clean on April Fools Day.

I had not anticipated any favorable response to my post and have received IM's voicing approval and even an interest in networking with Mr. Duvall.  I deeply regret this unintended consequence and apologize for my ruse.  The fact that I tire of the frequent BS on this site hardly excuses my indiscretion. 

Please forgive me.

Mike

[Scott Warren]

Baker-Finch may well have lost the ability to play well on tour, but as recently as last year he was saying he was playing off +6 at his club in Florida. So he can still play.

I once watched him hit a slice off the 1st at Terrey Hills in Sydney that cleared the carpark and came to rest on the 13th fairway. He went and found it, bombed it back over the driveway, hit an iron on and calmly two putted for par

[David_Tepper]

It was not my intention, when starting this thread, to pose David Duval as a subject of ridicule or humor.  As someone who has watched a wide variety of sports for many decades, I am not sure I can recall anyone else who was the best in the world in any sport for a meaningful period lose their ability to compete at the top level so thoroughly and in such a relatively short period of time. Ian Baker-Finch was a major champion and a very, very good player, but I don't recall him ever being ranked #1 in the world or very close to it.

It just shows what a fickle game golf can be.
   

[David Neveux]

Duval is still sweet imho.  I'll watch him anyday over the endless TIGER FOOTAGE. 

[Doug Wright]

Heretofore, I've never felt compelled to share this with the treehouse, but I had the good fortune of making David's acquaintance when he played in a collegiate event at Golf Club of Tennessee many years ago.    In an unusual twist, the players were provided caddies and since the club did not have a sufficient number on staff, I volunteered and somehow drew David's bag.  He turned out to be a fun and delightful young man with a keen intellect to go along with a strong golf game - a totally different personna than that portrayed by the wrap-around sunglasses and aloof demeanor.

We have stayed in touch though surprisingly have never teed it up together.  I sent him an e-mail alerting him to this thread, knowing full well that like me, he would get a big kick out of it.  David doesn't really give a crap what he shoots.  He has prospered financially, invested wisely and relishes the role of family man.  He looks at golf much like I do, appreciating the opportunity to play and enjoying every minute of it notwithstanding some dimishment in his playing skills and the attending frustration that all of us feel as our handicaps slip and our muscles occasionally ache.  

So proceed with your cheap shots to both his amusement and mine.  Just bear in mind he gets the last laugh.

Kindest regards,

Bogey

Bravo Bogey! I love it when these threads get going and someone with FACTS presents them squarely to make things clear.

These things always remind me of the scene in Annie Hall where the blowhard in the movie line is pontificating about Marshall McLuhan to his date:

EXCERPT FROM FILM ANNIE HALL

MAN: It's the influence of television. Now, now Marshall McLuhan deals with it in terms of it being a, a high-- high intensity, you understand? A hot medium--

WOODY ALLEN: What I wouldn't give for a large sock with horse manure in it.

MAN: -- as opposed to the truth which he [sees as the] media or--

WOODY ALLEN: What can you do when you get stuck on a movie line with a guy like this behind you?

MAN: Now, Marshall McLuhan--

WOODY ALLEN: You don't know anything about Marshall McLuhan's work--

MAN: Really? Really? I happen to teach a class at Columbia called TV, Media and Culture, so I think that my insights into Mr. McLuhan, well, have a great deal of validity.

WOODY ALLEN: Oh, do you?

MAN: Yeah.

WOODY ALLEN: Oh, that's funny, because I happen to have Mr. McLuhan right here. Come over here for a second?

MAN: Oh--

WOODY ALLEN: Tell him.

MARSHALL McLUHAN: -- I heard, I heard what you were saying. You, you know nothing of my work. How you ever got to teach a course in anything is totally amazing.

WOODY ALLEN: Boy, if life were only like this.

 

[Brian_Ewen]

His hooking it OB on the first at The Old Course was... memorable.

Tony , what do you find memorable about that shot ?

[John Moore II]

99% of the people on this site wish he had his game. 

Just 99%?  That means there are 15 guys in this DG who can beat him??

Wow--I had no idea the talent level here was so high!

Well, I saw Tom Lehman's name as a member on here at one point in time not too long ago, so he may be one of the 15, depending on the day of the week. And I think we have one or two guys on here who have played on the tour before plus some VERY good amateurs. And I'm sure there are a few on here who just have no desire to play on tour like that. So, there's your 15 who wouldn't want (or need) his level of play.

And as far as the 500-1 odds on DD winning again, I'll put $5 on that. Thats a $2500 return if he doesn't take home another trophy. Of course, I'd rather lose the $5 and see him return to greatness.

[Philippe Binette]

Down the line on Baker-Finch and Duval...

golf is a weird game and especially at TOUR level.

For Duval, one more putt dropping and one more drive in the fairway a round (2 shots a round, 8 shots for the tournament) is more than often the difference between greatness and being a nobody...
If that happens, the guy knows how to win...

I don't remember what year the did that calculation but they found that, if you don't count the majors:

- If you would play Even on every round on Tour, you wouldn't be in the top 125 at the end of the year
- If you play -1 on every round on Tour, you would be easily inside the top 50...

For Baker-Finch, it's probably more mental than anything... but hey, he won the Open, won at all levels, careers don't last forever, some end more abruptly than others.

[Jonathan Cummings]

I don't know Duval.  I've spent a day with Finch a few years ago and still occasionally exchange emails with him.  Forget the golf, he's one class individual and extremely knowedgeable about the game.  He can share a beer with you and talk about the game and have you completely captivated.  Maltbie too, although Roger's stories are more for golfing gossip columns.

JC 

[ed_getka]

Before I cause any more damage, I must let you know that my previous post on David Duvall was a total fabrication.  I had merely intended to counter-balance the Dog-Pile-On-David and ostensible delight that many take in his professional struggle, and planned to come clean on April Fools Day.

I had not anticipated any favorable response to my post and have received IM's voicing approval and even an interest in networking with Mr. Duvall.  I deeply regret this unintended consequence and apologize for my ruse.  The fact that I tire of the frequent BS on this site hardly excuses my indiscretion. 

Please forgive me.

Mike

Mike,
   That is hilarious. You are forgiven in my book. You are one of the few people who could tell that story and I would believe it. I fell for it hook, line, and sinker and I'm not a fisherman.

[Robert Thompson]

I walked a few holes with David and his coach at Riviera. His coach, Puggy Blackmon, said Duval had moved away from trying to hit a cut and had really ruined his swing. They had spent a lot of time trying to get him back to playing a cut.

He's back to being chubby David now -- the one who shot 59 and won all those times. But he seems to have no idea where he's hitting it off the tee.

Remember last year he contended at the British Open through a couple of rounds...

I actually wouldn't compare him to Baker-Finch. Duval was a better player for a longer period of time. But it has been eight years since he's even played well.

[Anthony Gray]

Before I cause any more damage, I must let you know that my previous post on David Duvall was a total fabrication.  I had merely intended to counter-balance the Dog-Pile-On-David and ostensible delight that many take in his professional struggle, and planned to come clean on April Fools Day.

I had not anticipated any favorable response to my post and have received IM's voicing approval and even an interest in networking with Mr. Duvall.  I deeply regret this unintended consequence and apologize for my ruse.  The fact that I tire of the frequent BS on this site hardly excuses my indiscretion. 

Please forgive me.

Mike

  Bogey,

  Do you remember calling us chumps because Kananaugh had that hook in our mouths?
  Well it looks like you landed some big ones today .   WELL DONE!!

  How big of a boy are ya?

  Anthony

[Mike_Young]

Some of you know that charlie (Rymer) played at GT with David and is a good friend.....Puggy (His college coach and present coach) tells charlie he is close and should get back....I think he will....
And I heard he was looking for some Tenn redneck caddy....I think he was going to call him Puff....(rhymes with Fluff )   

[tlavin]

At least he's still trying.  It's like watching somebody crawl on broken glass, but he is trying.

[John Moore II]

Down the line on Baker-Finch and Duval...

golf is a weird game and especially at TOUR level.

For Duval, one more putt dropping and one more drive in the fairway a round (2 shots a round, 8 shots for the tournament) is more than often the difference between greatness and being a nobody...
If that happens, the guy knows how to win...

I don't remember what year the did that calculation but they found that, if you don't count the majors:

- If you would play Even on every round on Tour, you wouldn't be in the top 125 at the end of the year

Not exactly. I put that to the test once and looked through an entire year (I actually did this for every year from like 2002 until 2007) and never did you break the top 150 in the money list IRRC. The thing is, yeah, if you shoot even at the end of the week, you'll make money. But you have to look and see if even par makes the cut as well. In many cases, par golf won't make the cut, but would finish top 50 after the weekend. Thats one key to look at. Another thing to look at is you have to look at playing the events that a normal guy (a rookie) would be able to play. That excludes the WGC events and all the invitationals. When you look at that, the money numbers for par golf get a lot lower. I will look up the numbers for 2008 looking from the point of view of myself as a guy who just got through Q-school and what I would make shooting even or -1 in each round.
- If you play -1 on every round on Tour, you would be easily inside the top 50...

For Baker-Finch, it's probably more mental than anything... but hey, he won the Open, won at all levels, careers don't last forever, some end more abruptly than others.

I went and looked up a 'par-player' for this past season. Par golf made $640,399. So, you've made a pretty good sum of cash, but thats good for only 143 on the money list. -1 for most likely make top 125, but I did not figure that one out.

[David_Tepper]

Recent Yahoo!Sports article on Duval:

http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/pga/news?slug=jo-duval030309&prov=yhoo&type=lgns