Masters 1999: Players amazed by Duval's run

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Players amazed by Duval's run
By John Marvel
ESPN Golf Online
AUGUSTA, Ga. -- The wrap-around sunglasses hide the passion, but it's there. There's also a sense of humor, intellect, graciousness, dedication and commitment, qualities that are hidden to the general public because TV cameras and still photographs provide only one image.

David Duval
David Duval came within one shot of winning The Masters in 1998.
But a pair of Oakleys can't hide the fact David Duval has become the best golfer in the world during the past 18 months. There have been 11 wins in 34 starts, nearly $7 million, two Presidents Cups and a Ryder Cup. There have been magazine covers, commercial endorsements and celebrity requests, accolades generally reserved for royalty like the "King" or for those with animal nicknames such as Golden Bear and Tiger.
Duval's meteoric rise has occurred without claiming a major championship, although he seriously contended in three of the past four (stumbling only at the PGA Championship, where he missed the cut). But as the 63rd Masters begins Thursday, he is clearly the favorite, having won the past two PGA Tour events and four since the start of the season in January.
A superstar, but one nobody really knows. There are no fist pumps or bursts of exaggerated emotion, no gregarious interviews or television specials. Just a quiet effort to be the best, an ability to blend in much the way a successful spy must have gone about business during the Cold War.
"I love the way he plays," 1992 Masters champion Fred Couples said. "This guy is so young and so good, but he could walk into a grocery store and if he doesn't have those glasses on, he's ahead of the game, nobody will know him. But he'll start being on more commercials. It's not bad stuff. People will want him out there and if he chooses to do that, everyone and their brother will know him. He'll have more and more fans.
"His golf game, it's incredible. He's winning and it looks very easy. I just haven't seen anyone do that. … I watched him at the (Players Championship) after I was done and it didn't even look like it was tough to him, playing on one of the hardest courses.
"It's not easy, but last week (at Atlanta) he played, 'I'm here to have a good time,' and this and that, and he wins. If you've watched him, he knows. He hits the ball 100 miles, he has great irons, he's got an incredible touch, and he's a great putter. He has it all."
Everyone is pointing to Duval this week, and with good reason. The run has been incredible and is being compared with some of the great stretches of all time: Johnny Miller winning 11 of 24 in 1974-75, and Jack Nicklaus grabbing 12 of 34 in 1972-73. Some would argue the parity is even greater now, making the current feat even more impressive.
"What David has done in the past two years in professional golf is absolutely incredible," defending Masters champion Mark O'Meara said. "He's been pretty low-key about it, but in today's era of unbelievably talented deep fields, to win the amount of events he has won is phenomenal."
Couples agrees.
"As a player, I'm basically amazed," Couples said. "He wins easily. When it's close, he ends up winning by three. When he comes from behind, he shoots 59 or 65 to win. I think it's great."
Duval's streak isn't the only reason why people are tabbing him as the man to beat for the green jacket. His length is obviously an advantage, as is a fearless, yet soft touch on the greens. But the overwhelming reason to watch him on Augusta National Golf Club's hallowed ground might be the way he handles adversity.
There are no explosions. No buried clubs. No volcano-like outbursts. Stuff happens on the golf course and Duval has shown that very little, good or bad, will rattle his game.
"David is No. 1 in almost every category and that's phenomenal, but it's the composure," O'Meara said. "You don't see David when he misses shots. He's getting over them quicker, which is what Tiger (Woods) is trying to learn, I think."
The veranda near the Augusta National clubhouse was packed Wednesday. Duval walked through the area with considerable ease, pausing to talk with friends and well-wishers. He is extremely relaxed, with none of the pre-tournament favorite weight seeming to bother him as it has others in the past. He is scheduled to tee off in the first round at 1:23 p.m. ET and if recent history follows suit, he'll be teeing off later on Sunday.
It would be shocking not to see him in, or lurking near, the lead as the tournament comes down the stretch during the final nine holes. There always is a ton of pressure on the favorite here, but he's handling it like it's a little $5 best-ball with his buddies down at the local club instead of one of the most prestigious championships in golf.
"Every single day it's getting old," Couples said with a shrug. "You know, 67, 68, 67, 65 … I just know when I'm in a tournament with Duval, I'm on the eighth hole and he's on the sixth hole, and his name is already up there (on the leaderboard) … He's amazing to watch."