History Repeating Itself
It would appear that David Duval is the new Ian Baker Finch. Both won the British Open and then quickly lost nearly all their skills.
Duval: His problems began on the 434-yard par-4 first hole, where he hit two shots out of bounds, one to the left and one to the right. It took him two more shots to the get to the green and two putts to hole out for a quadruple-bogey eight. Duval shot a 13-over-par 83 yesterday, leaving him 20 strokes off the lead. He also withdrew from the tournament.
Baker Finch: The 37-year-old Australian's startling slide from the top was marked by an inability to hit his driver reliably off the tee, often snap-hooking wildly. The problem started after the British Open win when he decided he wanted more distance out of his drives and adjusted his swing. But the slump reached its depth in the first round of last year's British Open at Royal Troon when he returned an embarrassing 92 in the first round and withdrew.
Duval: His problems began on the 434-yard par-4 first hole, where he hit two shots out of bounds, one to the left and one to the right. It took him two more shots to the get to the green and two putts to hole out for a quadruple-bogey eight. Duval shot a 13-over-par 83 yesterday, leaving him 20 strokes off the lead. He also withdrew from the tournament.
Baker Finch: The 37-year-old Australian's startling slide from the top was marked by an inability to hit his driver reliably off the tee, often snap-hooking wildly. The problem started after the British Open win when he decided he wanted more distance out of his drives and adjusted his swing. But the slump reached its depth in the first round of last year's British Open at Royal Troon when he returned an embarrassing 92 in the first round and withdrew.
# | July 25, 2003