David Duval, the man who had it all, is

about to lose full status on US Tour

Former Open champion David Duval, the US golfer who once had the golfing world at his feet, is about to lost full status on the US PGA Tour for the 2010 season.
Duval, at one time ranked No 1 in the world, missed the cut with a five-over-par two-round total in the last competition of the season, the Children's Miracle Network Classic.
"It's not a position you want to be in," Duval said. "It's not fun, but really, I haven't been focusing on it a whole lot."
Duval began the week at No 125 on the money list, the last spot to earn full status on the 2010 US Tour. He is now projected to finish at No. 131, giving him conditional status that would allow him to enter about a dozen tournaments for being in the top 150.
Duval's name recognition should help him land sponsor exemptions. And his runner-up finish at this year's US Open and his 2001 British Open victory will get him into the first three majors next year.
He said he has already signed up for qualifying school. If he doesn't qualify, he'll be making his schedule on a weekly basis next year.
"I've played long enough, so I'd like to think the relationships I've built up for 14, 15 years out here, that the events I go to year in and year out would show me a little love if I need it," he said.
Duval, wearing his trademark shades, won three straight US Tour events in 1997, captured the 2001 Open at Royal Lytham by three strokes, and became only the third player to shoot 59 in a round on the US Tour in 1999. He is still the last to accomplish that feat.

His last victory was in the 2001 Dunlop Phoenix Open in Japan.

Duval had his 38th birthday last Tuesday (November 9)
The man many thought would challenge Tiger Woods for years then had a downward spiral of a career for nearly a decade. Duval is the walking nightmare of any top professional golfer. One night you go to sleep as one of the best in the world; you waken up next morning and for some inexplicable reason you can no longer play the game to such a high standard. Another Open champion, Ian Baker-Finch, is another example. He peaked in the 1991 Open at Royal Birkdale.
Duval's runner-up finish at this year's US Open must have reminded the American of how he once could up. Was to be the long-awaited turning point, the start of his resurgence. Sadly no. His success at Bethpage Black was short-lived.
That was his first top-10 finish in America since 2002, placing him well inside the top 125 on the money list. Duval was using a one-time exemption this year for being among the top 50 on the career money list.
"I talked a lot early on in the year about coming back, building the confidence back that I had for so long, and I feel like for the most part I did that," Duval said. "So I'm excited about everything I'm doing. I'm happy with it.
"But I want to start at 0, start even, not feel like I'm behind the 8-ball. So that's what I'm looking forward to."
Which is one way of looking at it.