ESPN.com - Golf Online - Tour Championship 2000 - Notebook: Another downer for Duval

Associated Press
Saturday, November 4

ATLANTA -- David Duval first had a chance to play with Tiger Woods in the third round of the World Series of Golf two years ago. He outplayed him that day, and went on to win at Firestone.

It's been downhill ever since.

Playing together for only the sixth time in their careers, Woods went from a one-stroke deficit to a three-stroke lead after just four holes. He finished with a 66, eight strokes better than Duval. It was the fifth straight round where Woods had the upper hand.

"David had one of those days where shots that were borderline ended up terrible," Woods said. It was a tough day for him."

Duval was only two shots out of the lead when his round unraveled. His 25-foot birdie putt on No. 10 ran about 10 feet past the hole. As he was hitting his par putt, a woman came up to the ropes and flashed a camera.

Duval backed off, then lipped out the putt.

"It's a shame when people don't give you the courtesy you deserve when you're trying to compete," he said. "It was disturbing, but that wasn't the only time something like that has ever happened."

He failed to get up-and-down from a bunker on No. 12 for another bogey, and took a double bogey on No. 14 when his drive came to rest next to a tree. Woods' tee shot also went into the trees, but ricocheted out into the first cut.

Woods and Duval have a good relationship off the course. Woods chose him as his partner for the World Cup next month in Argentina. But they didn't spend much time in conversation Saturday, and for good reason.

"We just never really were able to hit the same fairway," Woods said.

A pain in Spain
Phil Mickelson entered the World Golf Championships next week at Valderrama, but said at the beginning of the week that he probably wouldn't go if he won this week at East Lake.

One stroke out of the lead, he hasn't changed his mind.

"It's a really important day for me because if I win, I don't have to go to Spain," Mickelson said. "And I don't want to go. Nothing to knock the country, I just don't want to travel. I'd like to go home, hang up the clubs for a few weeks and get into the holiday season.

"And if I don't, then I feel like I need to go play Spain to hold my position on the money list."

Exactly why Mickelson feels he has to go to Valderrama is a mystery. He is more than $4.6 million behind Woods on the money list -- nearly the size of the entire purse in Spain -- and still over $600,000 ahead of Ernie Els.

The tour does not give awards for finishing second on the money list.

Bank on it
Vijay Singh heard his name called out and turned around just in time to see a baseball tossed in his direction.

He bobbled it, looked at it and then handed the ball to his 10-year-old son, Qass. Only after his press conference did Singh realize who threw him the ball -- Ernie Banks.

Qass had Banks sign it for him, and Singh shook his hand.

All alone
When Jim Furyk withdrew because of a wrist injury, that left only 29 players in the field and forced one player to go alone. Players have the option of asking a non-competing marker to play, but Chris Perry couldn't find one.

Not that he didn't try.

"I asked Tim Finchem to play, but he turned me down," Perry said of the PGA Tour commissioner. "I told him he's a seven or eight (handicap), that I'd give him shots, and I'd give three or four throws, as well."

Finchem told him he had to leave for the Senior Tour Championship in South Carolina. He was expected to return Sunday. Maybe he'll get another offer from Notah Begay, who had a 68 but will still be the first one off.

Hold all calls
Cell phones increasingly have become a problem on the PGA Tour, and the Tour Championship is no exception. Just ask Carlos Franco of Paraguay.

"No more telephones," Franco said when he finished his second round. "I go to hit on first hole and 'Ring. Ring. Ring.' I go to hit again, same thing. 'Ring. Ring. Ring.' I finally hit. Way right."

It got so bad at one point that marshals reminded one woman that cell phones are not allowed on the course. She denied having one -- and then a ringing sound came from her purse.

Tour officials confiscated 350 cell phones over the first two days.

Divots

Carlos Franco had the only birdie on No. 12 in the third round.

Only 14 players in the 29-man field remain under par for the tournament.

Mickelson has played in more consecutive Tour Championships -- eight -- than any active player. He has never finished higher than 12th. "This is the first time I said that for two or three weeks before this tournament, I'm going to really work to play well here," he said.

Woods, Singh and Mickelson are the only players who have broken par all three rounds.