Saturday, July 21, 2001
Duval cruises while Woods gardens
By BERNIE LINCICOME
Scripps Howard News Service
LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England — Tiger Woods
is not going to win this British Open. David Duval just might.
Woods played the third round of the Open
like a gardener, whacking at bushes and trees most of the day,
while Duval strolled without pressure or expectation into a tie
for the lead at six-under par with Ian Woosnam and Bernard Langer
, a couple of 40-somethings with long handled putters, and German-Czech
Alexander Cejka, the translation of which surely must be journeyman.
For Duval, riding an early morning 65 while
the rest of the field took on British weather and their own devils
later in the day, this is his least impressive competition in
any of the major championships he has failed to win on the final
day, though 19 golfers are within two shots of the lead. The important
thing for Duval is Woods is not among them.
On a day when this shaggy, claustrophobic
little golf course played like bad plumbing — everything
kept backing up — it was Duval and not Woods who stepped
out in front of the general swill, meaning no disrespect to Colin
Montgomerie, who lead the first two rounds.
Montgomerie is in a gang of five a stroke
behind. Although Woods, after a two-over par 73, is only five
shots back of the lead, there are 27 players in front of him.
“I'm capable of shooting 65,”
Duval said. “I mean, I just did it.”
And so he did, and without a bogey on the
15th hole, Duval would have had a record 64 and the lead all alone.
The British Open is the easiest of the four
majors to win, especially for good golfers who never turn out
to be great. This is Tom Weiskopf 's only major, as it is for
Greg Norman. Justin Leonard won this seven years ago and instead
of starting a career, it seems to have capped one. Mark Calcavecchia
and John Daly — though Daly has a PGA title as well —
measure their moments from beating inadequate foreigners.
This could happen for Duval, who inherits
from the American press the same demands that have nagged Montgomery
from the British. Why hasn't he done it already? “It is hard
to say what will happen tomorrow,” Duval said. “I have
no idea what the weather will be like. It might require 65 again,
it might not.
“I don't know how the leaders will
do but I got myself back in it today and that's where I want to
be. Especially after being behind for two days.”
Duval was in a position, though not this
good, to have won both majors this year. He shot 67 in the last
round of the Masters and lost to Woods. He shot 74 and fell way
back at the U.S. Open on the final day.
“I could have won the last four Masters,”
said Duval, saying what is generally known to be true. But until
he wins one of these things when everyone is watching, he will
be considered a failure.
“If you look back,” said Duval,
“I have been, whether you want to say fairly or unfairly
criticized for Augusta. Whether you want to say I blew it this
year, I shot the low round of the (final) day. The other year,
I shot 67. Apparently I blew that day, too.
“I feel I've been there and I have
proven I can play under these conditions. Certainly there have
been times when I have not had such a good day. I shot 74 at Southern
Hills. I started the day five shots behind. It turns out I would
have to shoot five under.
“I know it is hard, but I know I have
it in me. I think I have proven it. I have shown it. A few times
I've played poorly but most of the times I've played very well.”
The world that Duval keeps peaking at is
not fair. Champions must win, not merely try hard. And each time
Duval fails, he rationalizes his effort.
“My end goal is to win,” Duval
said. “But when you go out and do what you can and you play
well, you make putts and you don't make stupid mistakes, mental
mistakes, I just don't see that as failing.
“If you want to say I don't have the
right attitude or if I don't have the killer instinct or whatever,
I don't think finishing second at something where you have done
really well is failing. I think it sends the wrong message.
“When you walk away and you look at
it and you do your best, that is not failing. I did everything
I could and somebody played better. I certainly want to take that
trophy home tomorrow. That is, I also want to play really well.
“If I shoot 65 and I get beat, you
know, I guess in some people's mind I failed again, but I just
don't see how that could be the case.”
Just win, Davey.
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