It’s been a long time since David Duval has won on the PGA TOUR with the last of his 13 career victories coming at the 2001 British Open. In the near-decade that’s passed, Duval has had a roller-coaster of a career. Now, though, he feels like he’s finally on his way back up.

“I feel like I'm playing well enough to win again,” said Duval, who opened with a 68 Thursday the Viking Classic. “Just a matter of putting all those little pieces together that I failed to do so far. If I just get rid of
a few mistakes here and there. All in all, I feel like I'm doing it, but I need to do it a little more consistently.”

Thursday, he was plenty consistent, hitting 16 greens at Annandale Golf Club, where he had six birdies, two bogeys and missed just two putts inside feet after averaging just over 21 feet on his approach shot distance to the pin.

As much as Duval would like to regain full status on TOUR – he finished 130th on the money list and enters this week 107th – he has no plans of passing on the Viking Classic anytime soon.

“I want to keep coming back,” Duval said. “I like the people here. I was asked yesterday by my partners about my favorite places of the year, and this is one of my favorites. I think I've been out long enough, I've played long enough, that it's as much about relationships as it is anything else.” -- Brian Wacker

While the announcement of Friday’s four-ball pairings for the Ryder Cup were being made this morning. there were a dozen other former Ryder Cuppers teeing it up at the Viking Classic.

Chad Campbell tops the list with three appearances in 2004, ‘06 and ‘08, but the best round from anyone among the dozen, at least so far, came from David Duval (1999, ‘02 teams), who opened with a 68 Thursday in Mississippi. That has him just two shots off the lead of Bill Haas, Bill Lunde and Arjun Atwal.

Others in the field this week with past Ryder Cup experience include: Chris DiMarco (2004, 2006), Brad Faxon (1995, 1997), Jim Gallagher, Jr. (1993), Lee Janzen (1993-97), Jeff Maggert (1995, 1997, 1999), Chris Riley (2004), Henrik Stenson (2006, 2008), David Toms (2002, 2004, 2006), Boo Weekley (2008) and Brett Wetterich (2006). -- Brian Wacker

The 59 watch is on again. Stuart Appleby just made a 10-footer at the 17th hole to move to 10 under – one stroke ahead of Jeff Overton.

The par-3 18th hole is all that stands between Appleby and history. He needs a birdie there to become the fifth man to shoot 59 – and the second in four weeks.

In addition, Appleby is trying to win for the first time since the 2006 Shell Houston Open. The only man to shoot 59 in the final round and go on to win was David Duval at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic in 1999. – Helen Ross

He can still hit his irons with the best of them (sixth in greens hit this week) but David Duval's wild driving continues to prevent him from reaching the level he enjoyed 10 years ago. But as he approaches his 39th birthday, it is becoming apparent that he will have a full-fledged TOUR card for 2011.

Duval

Duval is 4 under on the day in the final round of the RBC Canadian Open, putting him into a tie for 21st and on track for his first top-25 since his tie for second at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in February.

His week would have been even better had he not finished bogey-bogey-double bogey on Saturday during the tough final stretch at St. George's.

The Old Course is definitely at her most generous today. There are 58 players on the storied links right now and only 10 are over par for the day.

Some of the names are surprising. Two-time British Open champion Padraig Harrington is 2 over through three holes, as is the sentimental favorite, Tom Watson, who has won five Claret Jugs but never at St. Andrews.

Tim Clark, who won his first PGA TOUR event earlier this year at THE PLAYERS has played seven holes and is also 2 over. So is the 2001 Open champion, David Duval, who has just made the turn. – Helen Ross

A year ago, David Duval came out of nowhere to finish second at the U.S. Open. Well, he’s at it again. Duval, who has missed more cuts (8) than he’s made (5) made the turn in 4 under after two birdies and an eagle on the par-5 sixth hole.

That has Duval, whose one top-10 this year was a tie for second at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, at 2 over for the week and just five strokes off the lead of Graeme McDowell.

Duval had a share of the lead late in last year’s U.S. Open at Bethpage Black before  a bogey on the penultimate hole ended the dream. His last win came in 2001 at the British Open. -- Brian Wacker

The second round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational is complete with Bryce Molder leading after shooting a career-low 62 on Friday. He’s one stroke ahead of Jason Bohn and two up on Brian Davis and Kris Blanks.

Molder has held the 36-hole lead twice already this year, eventually finishing tied for 10th at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and tied for eighth at the Shell Houston Open. The former Georgia Tech All-American is bidding for his first TOUR win and trying to become the sixth player to win at Colonial in his debut.

Molder isn’t the only one seeking that breakthrough win. Four of the top six players on the leaderboard and five of the top 10 are hoping to make the Crowne Plaza Invitational their first TOUR victory.

A total of 76 pros survived the cut which came at 2 under and was the lowest in the tournament’s 63-year history. Among the notables who won’t be playing the weekend are Masters champion Phil Mickelson and reigning PGA champ Y.E. Yang, as well as former major champs Davis Love III, Justin Leonard, Trevor Immelman, David Duval and Steve Elkington.