"Way to go David. You're back!" screamed one fan, who sounded like he was cheering the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
Once the world's No. 1 golfer, Duval picked golf's biggest stage to tell Tiger Woods, Phil MickelsonRicky Barnes vaulted him 740 spots to No. 142 in the world. and other heavy hitters he was back in the game. Entering the Open, the 37-year-old Duval was ranked No. 882. His tie for second with Mickelson and
Maybe the only one who believed he could find his game was Duval himself. "It may be arrogance, but this is where I feel like I belong," said Duval, whose last win was the 2001 British Open.
After watching him resurrect his career, NBC analyst Johnny Miller said maybe Duval knows something we don't know: "He said he was a top-10 player. And he played like a top-10 player. I have to hand it to him."
If Duval took his success for granted in the old days, he doesn't now. He described Monday's action as the "most fun" he's had in a golf course in a long time: "I was in the middle of the golf tournament trying to make birdies and I was just having a blast."
Meet Brand Ricky: Duval wasn't the only comeback story, as 28-year old Tour rookie Barnes led the after 36 and 54 holes before fading with a 76 on Monday.
He earned $559,830 and spots in the British Open and 2010 Masters and U.S. Open — huge perks for a player who spent the last four full seasons on the Nationwide Tour and made only six cuts and $68,667 in 12 events on the PGA Tour this year. He went into the Open No. 519 in the world and left at No. 153.
Wilson Golf, which signed the 2002 U.S. Amateur champ to a two-year deal in January, will roll out the Wilson Staff FG Tour prototype irons he played this week to consumers in November at a suggested retail price of $799, says general manager Tim Clarke.
The company may even sell that funky white painter's hat that Barnes wore all week and sell it for $19.99. "The whole idea of signing players is to get the opportunity for exposure," Clarke says.
Briefly: For the first time in five years, all the major trophies belong to someone other than Tiger Woods. … The scoring average at the par-70 Black Course, playing about 212 yards longer than in 2002, was 72.929 and there were five players under par. The scoring average in '02 was 74.902 and there was one player (Woods) under par.
