ESPN.com - Golf Online - Masters 2000 - Frozen moment: Duval's charge

By David Kraft
ESPN Golf Online
Friday, April 7

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- David Duval and the 15th hole met at the perfect time Friday in the second round of The Masters.


	David Duval is averaging just 1.56 putts per hole at Augusta.

Duval had bogeyed the first hole he played in the 2000 Masters. For the rest of Thursday's round and the first 11 holes of play on Friday, Duval couldn't get into red figures.

On Friday, he birdied No. 12 to finally get to 1-under. Then he birdied the 14th to put himself on the leaderboard at 2-under.

Then came the 500-yard par-5 15th, which played as the easiest hole at Augusta National on Friday. And Duval was ready.

He drove the ball in the middle of the fairway, then hit a 5-iron 10 feet below the hole. Stroking with his Newport Scotty Cameron putter -- the same one he's won 11 tournaments with, including his closing-round 59 at the Bob Hope Classic last year -- Duval drilled the putt for an eagle to take the lead.

The eagle was the first one on No. 15 for Duval, who had played the hole in 4-over in his first 14 rounds at Augusta National. That included five birdies, five pars, two bogeys and two others.

It also was one of two eagles at the 15th on Friday. There were none at the hole in the first round.

More importantly, in four holes Duval had picked up four shots. When he birdied the 17th and 18th, he'd shot 30 on the back nine -- a back nine that played two shots easier to the field on Friday than it did on Thursday. He played the final five holes in just 15 strokes -- five 3s on his scorecard.

Why had he played so well on the back nine?

"Most people tell you that they feel like the first nine holes are more difficult than the second nine holes," Duval said.

But Duval's back nine was more complex than that. His irons were more crisp. His putter was more accurate. Duval, who hasn't won in a year, had the look he used to win four tournaments heading into last year's Masters.

On the 12th, hit he a 7-iron to 12 feet and made the putt for a birdie on the tricky par-3. On No. 14, he hit an 8-iron to within seven feet and made the putt.

On the 17th, he hit a pitching wedge to within four feet and made the putt. And on 18, he hit another pitching wedge to within 12 feet and made the putt.

"I played well yesterday," said Duval. "I was a little nervous starting the week. Today, I played a little better, a little more sharp and putted just a little bit better. Not that I putted poorly yesterday, (I) just made more today."

Retief Goosen was the only other player to make eagle at 15 on Friday. Duval's closest pursuers -- Vijay Singh, Ernie Els and Phil Mickelson -- all made birdie.

But Tom Lehman and Steve Jones, tied for fifth place, made double-bogey (Lehman) and bogey (Jones). Loren Roberts, in a logjam in seventh, made double-bogey as well, while Sergio Garica made bogey.

Now, in search of his first major championship, Duval needs several things to go well. He will need to drive the ball better (he's tied for 47th in the field, hitting just 61 percent of the fairways), hit more greens in regulation (he's hitting just two of every three) and continue his hot putter (he's tied for ninth in the field).

"I'm not real concerned with my position," he said. "I've had one goal for a while, and that's to be leading when we're done on Sunday afternoon. And it helps having played well so far, but that's not my goal."


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