Where is David Duval?

[BASHERBAKER69]

Hi#

does anybody know the reason why DD withdrew from the Bay Hill last week?

i fear for him i really do..he's one of the greatest players ever to grace the Masters and not win, and he won't be there this year either because he did not receive an invite..very sad

he started the season well but has dropped off...i can't help but think that his heart is not in it any more

can anybody else shed some light on this intriguing character...he's a bit like obe one kanobe,....a powerful secretive man, dead private, who hides away in his hut for long periods of time???!!!

bb69

[Cleveland Gunmetal]

Shame? Nah, I don't know why he withdrew. I don't believe a reason was given. Sad and a little strange. He's still a young guy too but seems to have lost all confidence (despite what he says in the press) and developed some bad habbits. It's sad because he's using his one time exemption to play this year and if he doesn't finish in the top 125 he'll lose his card.

[T-crank]

Very good question. Loads of talent! Not sure where or what he's doing.

[CanadaGolf]

I guess that if he fails to finish in the top 125 this year, then his career is over, would he go back to Q-school at his age?

[BASHERBAKER69]

Hi CanadaGolf

hes got next year too with a top 50 career earnings exemption as well so all is not lost

bb69

[elivate]

I am pretty sure that Duval has been struggling with Vertigo. It is possible that this is why he withdrew... Not sure though...

After his Open Championship win, Duval entered a downward spiral in form that saw him drop to 80th on the money list in 2002, and 211th in 2003, prompting an extended break from the game. Numerous reasons have been postulated for the decline, including back, wrist, and shoulder problems; private difficulties; and a form of vertigo.

[Cleveland Gunmetal]

Hi CanadaGolf

Correct me if I'm wrong but I think he's using that exemption to play this year. He won the 2001 British which secured his tour card through 2006.

[Puttin4Bird]

I am pretty sure that Duval has been struggling with Vertigo. It is possible that this is why he withdrew... Not sure though...

This is probably a pretty old report, it's been a while ago that DD struggled with Vertigo, unless it's back again.

I wouldn't get too worried unless he starts backing out of tourneys on a regular basis, maybe he had something family related or who knows what. I know his Open Championship exemption did run out after the 2006 season and he is using his 1 time career money list exemption this year so as far as I would expect, this would be his last free shot. If he does not retain his card after this year he could do the John Daly route and just get in a few events on sponsor's exemptions and try to earn enough money that way. I highly doubt we'll see Duval at Q-school, maybe after a couple of years off (if it comes to that) but I just really don't see that happening. It'll suck not having him in the Masters this year, he very well could have had at least 1, if not 2 Masters titles to his name right now, a very good Mark O'Meara putt on 18 took one out of his hands, and another 1 or 2 strokes behind TW once that could have easily fell his way.

[PalmIII]

http://www.davidduval.org/stats.htm

On this page is the following information regarding Duval's eligibility for this season and the the '08 season. He is good until then without making another cut.

One-time 1 year exemption can be granted to a tour player that is in the top 50 all-time career money list.
bullet

One-time 1 year exemption can be granted to a tour player that is in the top 25 all-time career money list (Duval for 2007).
bullet

(Note: David Duval is currently ranked 24th on the all-time career money list, so he will still have the Top 50 exemption in his back pocket if he needs it at the end of the 2007 season. We are hopeful that he will not need to use that additional exemption, but it is there if necessary because of his stellar performance in the late 1990's and early 2000's.)

[Cleveland Gunmetal]

Interesting. Thanks for the info Palm.

The extra exemption is nice, however as a previous poster mentioned, he can always go the John Daly route. I mean, had Daly not gotten injured, he had quite a few tournaments already lined up on sponsor's exemptions and Duval has the same kind of attraction.

OH well... here's to DD being in contention on the back 9 on Sunday of a PGA tour event. A big time event would be cool but right now I'd take any tour event.

[BASHERBAKER69]

Hi

why isn't Duval at the Verizon Heritage this week in New Orleans??...5 events and no sighting of the man..anybody know why??

bb69

[Cleveland Gunmetal]

Hi

I don't know man. Perhaps there's an injury or something... but I get the feeling he just doesn't care. He'll play events here and there to make Nike happy but you'd think he would want to play more often to try and make some cuts and some dinero. Maybe he's just more of a family man now.

[Puttin4Bird]

why isn't Duval at the Verizon Heritage this week in New Orleans??

The Verizon Heritage is in Hilton Head S.C. actually. But I'm not sure why Duval isn't playing. There is nothing on davidduval.org that indicates when his next event will be. I find it rather puzzling personally. If he's not hurt he needs to get his a$$ out there and earn enough money to stick around a while.

[Puttin4Bird]

Hey everyone, news from David Duval!!! I'm very happy to see this, I have to think that its even more that Duval will spend more time away from the golf course and with the family.

http://sports.espn.go.com/golf/news/story?id=2845114

David Duval hasn't played the PGA Tour in two months and could play only sparingly through the summer because his wife is having a difficult pregnancy with their second child and will be on bed rest until the baby is due in August.

"I've been home taking care of the family," Duval said Saturday from his home outside Denver, where he was getting ready for a birthday party for his 2-year-old son, Brady.

Susie Duval also had a tough pregnancy with Brady and was on bed rest the final six months.

Duval, whose 13 victories include a British Open, used a one-time exemption for being in the top 25 on the career money list to keep his card for the 2007 season. He has played only five times, with his best finish a tie for 36th at the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in February. His last tournament was the following week at the Nissan Open, where he missed the cut.

His wife has three children from a previous marriage, and Duval has been busy the last two month taking care of her and the children, the oldest a junior in high school.

While he chose not to discuss specifics of his wife's pregnancy, he said she was doing better but still is taking it easy. The couple is expecting a girl.

"She's pretty much reclined most of the day," he said. "She'll never have a 'normal' pregnancy. We just have to be careful."

Duval said he might play the Wachovia Championship depending on how his wife feels. He is not eligible for The Players Championship, which he won in 1999 to rise to No. 1 in the world. Duval grew up in Jacksonville, Fla.

It was not clear if he could ask the PGA Tour for a medical extension for next year if he misses a large portion of the season. Had he not taken his one-time exemption for top 25 in career money, he likely would have fallen out of the top 25. He still can use another exemption for top 50 in career money.

"I certainly hope the tour would look at that, but I'm not worried about it or thinking about it," he said. "This is something unexpected. I had planned on playing, but family jumps ahead of everything else."

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

[Cleveland Gunmetal]

Good article. Makes more sense now.

[BASHERBAKER69]

Hi

dd will be at the Wachovia Champs next week so watch this space

bb

[Cleveland Gunmetal]

Hi

Yeah, saw his name in the field and had to do a double take. Let's hope for a solid finish.

[Cleveland Gunmetal]

He withdrew...

"David Duval withdrew on Tuesday afternoon from the Wachovia Championship."

"Duval has been taking care of his family while his wife has been ordered to bed until the birth of their daughter in August. He had hoped things would be quiet enough this week to play in the Wachovia. Duval has been replaced in the field by Paul Stankowski. Stankowski has played at the Wachovia twice and has missed the cut both times."

Source: rotoworld.com