Every red-blooded American loves an underdog. There's something about a rags-to-riches story that grabs the American interest. When Boston was down three games to none against the Yankees two Octobers ago, there wasn't a soul who didn't want them to pull off a Cinderella victory. Now, I think I can say that with conviction because, according to research, I'm fairly certain that Yankee fans don't have souls.
When the Lakers took their All-Star-no-heart roster of 2003 against Detroit for the NBA finals, people pulled for the Pistons for the same reason. The Pistons were a bunch of relative no-name Davids taking on a Goliath'and yes, that refers to the little analogy I've drawn up as well as Shaquille O'Neal.
Don't ask me why we like underdogs. I've nearly failed every sociology class I've taken here, so I'm not the one you want to ask. Maybe it's because we defeated the Brits to gain our independence. Maybe it's because of stories about people who start out in shoe stores and go on to become millionaires. Maybe it's the '60s cartoon about the super dog with the floppy ears and even floppier costume. Maybe it's the movie 'Rudy' and its ability to make certain sportswriters cry at the same three spots every time. No one knows exactly, but that doesn't stop us from cheering.
Well folks, here's another underdog story. David Duvall leads the Dunlop Phoenix Open, held in Miyazaki, Japan, by one shot over Tiger Woods. And no, this is not 1998.
To say that Duvall has been off the golf radar for a while would be an understatement.
Duvall hasn't won on tour since March 2 of 2003, has missed his last 16 cuts and is No. 260 on the money list this year with a total of $7,630 to his name'although that's still more than I made all last summer. His last major victory was the British Open in 2001, and the last time he was ranked No. 1 was 1998.
Duvall's train was derailed by a series of injuries to his back and shoulder, and he was rumored to have had some psychological issues as well.
So it's not your classic underdog story, I'll give you that. Duvall was the world's best player for a time, and it looked as though nothing could stop the two-headed monster of Woods and Duvall from winning nearly every tournament in the PGA in the late '90s.
But that's fine. I think a story about a guy trying to find what he lost is just as thrilling. It's introspective, it's soul-searching, it's like David Carradine in the old 'Kung Fu' series'??it's good stuff.
I know what you're saying. The tournament is in Japan, the guy in second place is that dude Tiger Woods and Duvall is just a meltdown waiting to happen. You might be right. In fact, you probably are. But this time, I'm going to hope for something deeper. I'm going to look for that part of the human spirit that keeps fighting. I want to see the same stuff that beat the Yankees, the Lakers and the Brits. I want to see Duvall tap into that part of himself that says, 'I'm not quitting.'
