Duval slumps to 12 over par 83

David Duval's dramatic freefall continued on Thursday when the former world number one slumped to a 12-over-par 83 in the British Open first round.

Duval, who won the British Open at Lytham two years ago, had a quadruple-bogey eight and two triple-bogey sevens on his card.

The 31-year-old American bogeyed the first and sixth holes at Royal St George's but his problems really started round the turn.

Having taken eight shots at the par-four ninth, he needed seven more to negotiate the 10th and added further bogeys at the 11th and 17th before rounding off with another triple-bogey at the 18th to complete his misery.

His 83 was four shots worse than his previous highest British Open round, 79 at Carnoustie in 1999, and he was second-last in the field, better off only than fellow American Jerry Kelly, who took 11 shots at the first hole on his way to a 15-over-par 86.

Duval did manage birdies at the seventh and 13th holes, but his serene three-shot victory over Sweden's Niclas Fasth in the 2001 Open seemed a distant memory.

He has failed to make the cut in four of the last six major championships and looks odds-on to miss the weekend's action once again.

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