David Duval has fired his caddie and will have a new man on his bag when he returns to golf after recovering from a back injury.He has parted company with Greg Rita, who joined the World No. 3 last year after having partnered two other golfers to three major championships.
Rita helped Curtis Strange to successive US Open titles (1988/89) and was alongside John Daly when he captured the British Open at St. Andrews in 1995. He was with Scott Hoch before accepting an offer to join Duval.
It has been a depressing year for Duval, whose last success came in the BellSouth Classic in April 1999 and he has since been beset by a troublesome back injury.
David Duval hasn't enjoyed the best of years after a great 1998 & 1999. Allsport.
He incurred the injury at this year's British and was forced to pull out during the first round of the International earlier this month. He also withdrew from the PGA Championship and last week's NEC World Invitational.
Duval, however, has had limited success with Rita, tying for third in the Masters, eighth at the US Open and 11th at St. Andrews where he challenged Tiger Woods on the final day before finishing poorly while nursing the back injury.
Duval, his management and Rita were unreachable for comment but it is understood that the Ryder Cup golfer felt there was a lack of chemistry between the pair and decided it was time for a change.
