David Duval Is Back In Action

As most of you know, I'm a fan of David Duval. He's playing in the Hope this weekend, and I hope he does more than makes the cut -- I hope he top tens it to give him the confidence he needs to make this a big year.

Last spring, I wrote about how well Duval was progressing in his multi-year comeback. Shortly thereafter, his season was cut short because he had to attend to family matters. I don't know how much he practiced in the offseason, but I'm pretty sure he'll be ready to contend again soon. He certainly has a good record at the Hope. He's had a win (1999) and three top fives. Last year, he finished in a tie for 39th. So, he should have some good vibes going for him in the desert.

He has set a lofty target for himself this year, which is to make the Ryder Cup. I don't see that happening (he's not even listed in the Ryder Cup points list), but at least he's thinking big again. With a guy as talented as DD, if he can remember what it takes to contend and even win again, the sky's the limit.

I think it's interesting to note that he really hasn't been a force on the Tour since 2001 and there are many, many young players on Tour that have never seen him play well except for on TV. I wonder if seeing and playing with all of the new faces will be uncomfortable for him for the first few tournaments. Not only does he have to prove to himself that he belongs, but he probably wants to prove it to guys where were in the 5th grade when he was winning big tournaments. I predict that he'll be just fine, as it's been widely reported that he's "in a good place" in his personal life, so that should carry over to the golf course.