Duval shoots 91 in ‘very distinctive, terrible scenario’
PORTRUSH, Northern Eire — Former Open champion David Duval made a 14 on his approach to a rating of 91 that additionally noticed him make a triple bogey and a quadruple bogey through the first spherical at Royal Portrush.
Included within the 14 was a two-stroke penalty for enjoying the mistaken ball and two different penalties for a misplaced ball. “I simply carried out one thing I’ve by no means carried out as knowledgeable … ” mentioned Duval, who famous he had shot 85 twice earlier than. “It was an extended day, a tough day.
“A really distinctive, terrible scenario.”
Duval initially had been credited with a 13 on the seventh gap and a rating of 90 however the rating was adjusted to 91 after a assessment by the R&A. His rating on the seventh was adjusted to 14 and the R&A mentioned there can be no additional penalty for the adjustment.
The winner of 13 PGA Tour occasions, Duval by no means gained after capturing his solely main on the 2001 Open performed at Royal Lytham. For a time, he was ranked No. 1 on the earth.
Duval, 47, way back stopped enjoying event golf full time, however as a previous champion is exempt by means of age 60 and he felt good about his recreation earlier than arriving in Northern Eire. He performed in a Korn Ferry Tour occasion final week in Colorado and had performed 4 different PGA Tour occasions this yr, though he missed the minimize in three and withdrew from the opposite.
And after two early birdies, Duval was feeling fairly good. However he made an eight on the fifth. After which got here the issues at No. 7. Duval hit two tee pictures that have been poor sufficient to trigger him to hit provisional pictures. When the primary balls weren’t discovered, he was laying 5. At that time, Duval hit what turned out to be a ball that was not his. That is a two-shot penalty, and it meant going again to the tee once more.
However that solely occurred after Duval hit a number of extra pictures with the mistaken ball — that then did not rely, which means he had to return to the tee once more and begin over.
“I rise up to the entrance of the inexperienced I uncover it was the mistaken No. 2 Titleist,” he mentioned. “I’m at fault, I did not examine it myself shut sufficient. It occurred to me as soon as earlier than — a marshal is standing proper subsequent to the ball. … it is simply my mistake.”
After hitting what was his eighth shot, Duval wanted six extra pictures to get down for a 14 — one in all 5 gamers to make a 12 or worse at The Open within the final 20 years.
Duval shot 49 for the primary 9 holes after which had a triple-bogey 7 on the 17th, capturing 42 on the again for his rating of 91. The final time a participant had three triples or worse in the identical spherical at The Open was in 2003 — when Duval shot a first-round 83 at Royal St. George’s.
“It is pretty unsettling, clearly,” he mentioned. “I got here in right here with some pretty excessive hopes. I had some good follow and I performed within the Korn Ferry final week in Colorado and my scores have been good, I drove the ball like I used to drive the ball and every part was there.”
Duval cited some harm woes that haven’t helped, together with tendinitis in his left arm, however mentioned it wasn’t unhealthy sufficient to withdraw through the spherical.
“As knowledgeable, in the event you play, you put up your rating,” Duval mentioned. “Is there some trace of embarrassment to it? I do not know however I teed off and what I shot on the finish of the day put it on the board.”