David Duval to miss Masters

Former Open winner David Duval is withdrawing from the Masters, saying on Tuesday he needs more time to work on his game and enjoy his new family.

``I'm feeling good after taking all this time off, and I'm feeling healthy,'' Duval said from his home in Denver. ``But I feel like I need to give it more time and make sure I'm healed.''

He has not played on the PGA Tour since he missed the cut in Las Vegas last October. He withdrew with a sore back during the first round of the Dunlop Phoenix in Japan in November.

Duval said he has a ``decent idea'' when he might return to the PGA Tour, although he declined to say.

It will be the first time he has not played the Masters since he first qualified in 1996, and while he has gone six months without playing a PGA Tour event, it was difficult to pass on Augusta National.

``Of course I'm disappointed, absolutely,'' he said. ``The memories of that place are very distinct on the nice, sunny days. There's a peacefulness and beauty about it that is different from other places.''

Duval was married on March 6 to Susie Persichitte, whom he met last year in Denver. He now is a husband and father of three children, and said he is ``over the moon.''

``I've been blessed with the greatest wife in the world and three kids who are unbelievable,'' he said.

Duval, the only player besides Tiger Woods to be No. 1 in the world over the last six years, won the 2001 British Open at Royal Lytham & St. Annes, despite dealing with a series of injuries that he believes slowly and unknowingly caused changes in his swing.

He finished 80th on the PGA Tour money list in 2002 and followed that with a horrific slump.

Duval made only four cuts in 20 tournaments last year and finished 211th on the money list. His best tournament was a tie for 28th at the FBR Open, where he tied the course record with a 62 on the TPC at Avenel.

Duval said he is not watching much golf on television, but that he is working on his game.

``It just takes time to repair the damage of three years of bad swinging from injuries,'' Duval said.

Duval was in contention for a green jacket four consecutive years at Augusta National, starting in 1998 when Mark O'Meara birdied the final two holes to beat Duval and Fred Couples by one shot.

He was in a back-nine duel with Vijay Singh in 2000, and challenged Woods a year later until missing birdie putts of 12 and 6 feet on the final two holes. Woods won by two for his fourth straight major.

Duval is exempt to the Masters through 2006 because of his Open victory.