David Duval's Comeback Continues

Despite his inconsistent play since 2002, David Duval continues to strive forward

From 1997 to 2001, David Duval did not only win 13 PGA TOUR titles and shoot 59 during the final round of the 1999 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, but he also attained the number one world golf ranking and celebrated his status as a British Open champion.

However, since then, Duval has certainly struggled with his golf game. As a result of one of the most unpredictable and shocking downfalls in golf history, Duval no longer has full-time status on the PGA TOUR, only nine years after he was declared the "Champion Golfer of the Year" as he lifted the claret jug, the oldest and most respected trophy in the golf world.

For the past seven seasons, Duval has become more well-known for missed cuts and injuries than for victories and low scores. However, despite his difficulties, Duval has continued to press onward, hoping to eventually attain success on the PGA TOUR once again.

Last summer, during the 2009 U.S. Open, arguably the most challenging golf tournament in the world, Duval finally ended his streak of missed cuts and poor play. Not only did he contend in the tournament throughout all four rounds, he also finished the tournament in joint second place with Phil Mickelson.

Just when it seemed that Duval was ready to once again become a consistent contender on the TOUR, he struggled once again to find his game during the remainder of the season, finishing 130th on the TOUR's 2009 money list.

Without full-time status on the PGA TOUR, Duval is now at a crossroads - he must perform well this season and finish 125th (or better) on the 2010 PGA TOUR money list or else his career may truly be over once and for all.

However, with his joint-second place finish at last week's AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Duval appears to be ready to display his true golfing talent once again. Duval's showing at Pebble Beach may be his most consistent tournament since 2001, as he shot all four rounds in the 60s.

Meanwhile, despite having to rely only on sponsors' exemptions and tournament invites to events he won in the past, Duval appears to be more confident in his game today than he has in years.

Upon earning his runner-up finish at Pebble Beach, Duval stated, "I feel like I'm getting back on top of everything how I want to. This is what I expect of myself. I expect to play well. With that said, that doesn't mean you're going to have a chance to win every week, but you expect to be in control most of the time with what you're trying to do."

In addition to gaining confidence with his game, Duval is also hopeful that he will be able to prove that he deserves the sponsors' exemptions he receives this season.

"I feel like I have given the folks who have given me starts this year good fire power for why they did it," Duval said. "That makes me feel good, too."

This upcoming week, Duval will be playing in Mexico and striving to earn his 14th PGA TOUR victory - the 2010 Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riveria Maya-Cancun. In order to continue his good play, Duval will simply focus on the basics.

"I'm just going to go try to hit a lot of fairways and greens," he said. "It's really a simple recipe. Successful golf is a very simple recipe. I will try to do that again (this) week."

As Duval strives forward in 2010, he has already accomplished so much this season, yet he knows he can still accomplish even more during the coming months. If Duval is truly focused on attaining golfing success once again, there is no reason why Duval's fellow competitors will be surprised if he obtains a PGA TOUR victory in 2010 and...well into the future.