Duval Looks To Rebound

April 5, 2000 / 10:24 PM EDT / CBS/AP

Only a year ago, David Duval drove up Magnolia Lane fully expecting to be fitted for his first green jacket.

For Duval, it must seem like an eternity.

In that time he has gone from the world's No. 1 player and Tiger Woods' first great rival to almost an afterthought as the Masters begins Thursday.

Lifting weights has made him buff, but on the course his game has mostly been bad.

Somewhat surprisingly, though, Duval holds the belief that his chances are just as good this week as they were when he was on top of the golf world.

"I came in last year expecting to win the golf tournament, and I came in this year expecting to win the golf tournament," Duval said. "So whether you expect it or not, it has no bearing on my outlook."

At this time last year, Duval was the hottest player in the world, winner of four of his previous eight tournaments and the proud holder of a 59 in the final round of the Bob Hope Classic.

He passed Woods in the world rankings and, when Duval pulled within two shots of the lead on the back nine on Sunday, it seemed as if he might win the green jacket he had nearly won the year before.

A 4-iron into the water fronting the green on No. 11 ended those chances. Duval hasn't won since, while Woods has put an end to any talk of a budding rivalry by winning 10 times.

"I think right now people think any event he plays in is Tiger's event to win, which not too long ago was the case with me," Duval said. "But I think this is my event to win or lose this week. Point being, it's not going to change, no matter what anybody else feels."

It's not that Duval has played badly this year, after coming out for the new season with a body toned by daily weightlifting and running. It's just that the time spent in the weight room defining his muscles might have been better spent on the practice green smoothing his stroke.

He did finish third on two occasions this season, and played in the final group in the Hope, where poor putting ended his chances.

He hasn't been consistent as evidenced by a 78 in the third round in Atlanta last week though Duval thinks his game is now right where he wants it to be.

"I feel good about what I've done and where I've played," he said. "I think it will work out."

Duval blames his drop-off after the Masters last year to poor scheduling. His focus this year is on the four majors, and he has altered his schedule to reflect that.

"Obviously I want to win golf tournaments this year," he said. "But my whole focus at the beginning of the year was just to kind of stretch through the U.S. Open and then take a breather and then the British Open and PGA."

Duval, still No. 2 in the rankings, is not consdered a favorite this year but that means little to him.

"My intentions are just to win the golf tournament. It doesn't concern me either way," he said.

Neither does the pressure of the Masters, which Duval appeared to be handling well last year until he made the double bogey on No. 11.

"There's a lot of pressure on me because I put it on myself," Duval said. "I've worked very hard, and I hope everything falls in this week. And we're going to find out very soon now."