Did Anyone Notice - Ballesteros and Duval

Two previous stars of golf played in tournaments this past weekend. What can we gleam from their performance?

For those of you who know and love Seve's work, he returned to the European tour this last week for the Open de Madrid. Seve has long suffered from physical ailments and maybe a few personal issues as well. In his heyday he played the brilliant golf that only a Spaniard can - with flair, emotion and a joy that seemed to flow directly from his heart. And the shots Seve could make! Unbelievable recoveries from places on a golf course that no pro is supposed to see. He was a swashbuckler if ever there was one. Anyone who saw him at his peak can only hope that Seve can come back, we want more!

Seve didn't make the cut in Madrid. He finished second from the bottom. But that doesn't mean he's not going to come back. Pro golf is tough. As we've seen with many great players who've stopped play for personal and physical reasons, you don't just start again at the top. You have to work your way back. So who knows, maybe there's life yet in the greatest Spaniard to play the game. I'm not discounting Sergio, but he's still young and has a lot of holes to walk before he reaches the rarefied place where Seve is.

And how about one of the great enigmas of golf - David Duval? I just find his story fascinating and I've been rooting for his successful comeback for the last couple of seasons. You see some of his scores over this period and you begin to think he's finished as a tour pro. Then you hear another pro say that he's still got game. What's really going on?

Perhaps some good news about David in last week's Michelin. He didn't make the cut, BUT did you check out his scores? Thursday he shot a 73 and Friday a 65. A 65 is not too shabby! Maybe he is finding his game. It's almost the end of this year's golf season. Is a 65 enough to inspire David to really get on it during the offseason, to come out guns blazing at next year's Mercedes kickoff? I for one sure hope so. How about this for a list of top 10 names for next year; Woods, Singh, Els (talk about coming back), Couples, Daly, Montgomerie, Furyk, Mickelson, Goosen, and Garcia. And maybe, just maybe, a certain Mr. Duval.