Golf Needs a Rivalry

Ohio State vs. Michigan. The Celtics vs. the Lakers. Yankees vs. the Red Sox. Rivalries matter in sports. They create energy with fans. Trash talk extends beyond the players out to the fans. Nothing in sport beats a rivalry.

Golf is no different. In the past, there was Hogan vs. Snead. Arnie vs. Jack. Jack vs. Trevino/Watson/Player. When any of those players went toe to toe in a tournament, the golf became exciting and must see.

Today, golf still maintains some rivalries although not between individual players. Instead, we have the PGA Tour vs. LIV. Team USA vs. Team Europe in the Ryder Cup. Individual rivalries have nearly gone by the wayside.

There have been attempts to stoke a rivalry. Bryson DeChambeau seemed to try to ignite something with Rory McIlroy, but Rory never took the bait.

DeChambeau once feuded with Brooks Koepka, but their obvious dislike of one another went all kumbaya when they both signed with LIV.

It appears the only fully fueled rivalry remains with the Ryder Cup

Golf needs a player rivalry.

There have been short-lived rivalries like DeChambeau/Koepka.

The last big rivalry, though, never quite materialized.

Some will say Woods/Mickelson was the last, great rivalry, but Mickelson never quite got the better of Tiger.

The last rivalry, the one which looked like it would match the great rivalries of the past, was Tiger Woods/David Duval.

In the late ‘90’s, Woods/Duval became the hottest rivalry in golf. Woods wearing his Sunday red. Duval with his Oakley’s. Woods with his power. Duval with his precision. It looked like these two would battle on the golf course for their entire careers.

In 1999, Duval won the Players Championship. He then went on to win 11 times in his next 31 starts to unseat Woods as the #1 player in the world. Earlier in that year, he became the first player to win a tournament by shooting 59 in the final round at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic. While others crumbled in the moment when facing Woods, Duval embraced it. Woods didn’t intimidate Duval as Tiger did so many others.

It looked like this rivalry was going to be one of the greatest of all-time.

That’s the thing with sport, though. As fans, we recognize greatness when we see it. We anticipate a great rivalry when champions fearlessly compete against one another. But sometimes those anticipated moments never come to fruition.

Duval suffered through multiple injuries starting with back issues in 2000. He tried all kinds of rehab and therapy including swimming to relieve his ailing back. His back was the biggest cause of his game falling apart, but he also suffered with a broken wrist, tendinitis and bursitis in both shoulders, two broken fingers, a broken toe, torn calves in both legs and disc replacement in his neck.

Beyond the injuries, I believe Duval also discovered contentment. Golf served as a sanctuary for him as a child. His older brother, Brent, suffered with aplastic anemia which is a disease which prevents bone marrow from producing enough new blood cells. Brent died at age 12 due to sepsis following a bone marrow transplant. David, age 9, was the bone marrow donor. Brent’s death affected David and the Dual family deeply. Golf served as a form of therapy for David.

As injuries started taking their toll on Duval’s game, he met his wife, Susan. She already had three children when she and Duval met. Instant family. A sense of normalcy for Duval. And, yes, contentment in the midst of losing his game. He no longer needed golf in the same way.

The promise of a career long rivalry ended nearly as quickly as it began.

I miss the battles early in Tiger’s career with Duval. I miss the duels between Nicklaus and Palmer. I miss the battles between Nicklaus and Trevino. I miss the intensity between Koepka and DeChambeau. Those rivalries made golf tournament fun to watch.

We need a bad boy to come along and challenge the nice guy which is Scottie Scheffler. Every good guy needs a heel. We, as fans, need it to happen.

Training has progressed nicely this past week with two weight training sessions and one speed session. Each strength exercise increased by 5 lbs. with each set. This week I expect another 5 lbs. increase per set. I have a goal to get my bench press to 150 lbs. My upper body strength has always been poor, so this is a big goal. This week I will be at 130 lbs. on my final set. Next week, I’ll update everyone on speed training.

As always, be grateful when you play. Be thankful for the privilege and opportunity to play this amazing game. Now, go golf!