It's been five years since David Duval cradled the claret jug at the British Open. It's been seven since he was the best player in the world.
So much has changed in that time. So much seemed the same Friday.
Duval made four birdies in the second round of the U.S. Open to post his best round in a major since 2001. He not only made the cut in a major for the first time in four years, but played himself into contention as well.
Duval's 2-under 68 was tied for the lowest score of the second round -- on a day so brutal that only five out of 156 broke par at Winged Foot and Tiger Woods missed the cut.
Duval, who passed Woods for the No. 1 ranking after his win at The Players Championship back in 1999, heads into the weekend at 5-over, in a tie for 14th place, six strokes behind Steve Stricker.
"I guess that's the difference between you and me," he said when asked about contending after such a long time. "I don't think that way. I'm not thinking along those lines, whether I've done it recently or not. It's a matter of confidence in how I'm playing. My results haven't been nearly what I thought they should be this year to this point."
Indeed, those who pay attention only to his scores, not his swing, certainly would have been surprised by this surge. Duval, however, has been talking about his improving play for a while.
"I've been saying that for I don't know how long and no one wants to seem to listen," he said. "I'll say it again. I'm playing very well."
Since the golf world was last paying attention, Duval hired and fired four swing coaches before reuniting last year with college coach Puggy Blackmon. He's starting to feel more comfortable. So, too, with the injuries -- back, wrist, both shoulders -- that sunk him about a year after his win at Royal Lytham.
Now, he's looking for results to go with the improved state of his game. Last week, rounds of 72-73 at nearby Westchester left Duval "scratching my head.
"I felt like after two days I should be in contention and I don't even get to play on the weekend," he added. "It's those little things that need to add up in a round of golf that haven't for me."
They did Friday.
Remember the Ice Man? The guy with the black shirt and the wraparound shades who wouldn't let anyone in? Duval looks the same, but he's kinder and gentler now, easier to cheer for, something that became apparent as he made his way around Winged Foot.
One telling moment came on the 16th tee box when, in the middle of Duval's pre-shot routine, a TV sound man stuck a microphone onto the edge of the teeing area. A marshal told Duval to hold up while he moved the guy back. Duval reset himself and promptly teed off into the right rough.
Back in the day, he might have blown up. Instead, he simply pulled the marshal aside, said something and they shared a few laughs. Moments later, Duval went on his way and hit a beautiful shot out of the rough to 4 feet to set up his second birdie of the day.
On No. 18, Duval made the mistake of looking into the stands while playing partner John Cook was about to hit a shot out of a greenside bunker.
"Yep, there are a lot of people here, Dave," a fan shouted as Cook was in his backswing. That might have reminded Duval why he froze people out back when he was good.
And he might be good again. Though Duval hit only four of 14 fairways on this day -- the same number as Woods -- the rest of his game appeared to be in much better shape.
He made birdie putts of 15 and 20 feet on Nos. 1 and 3, then saved pars with equally long putts on 4 and 5. His only hiccup was on 6, where Duval got caught in the rough and made a double-bogey to drop back to 5-over.
Still, he is in contention. And by the time he strode up No. 9, already assured of making the cut, he was on the leaderboard, too. When Duval walked onto the green alongside Colin Montgomerie, who finished the day a stroke out of the lead, it was hard to tell if the scene was from 1999 or 2006.
"He's had a tough time, no question about it. I wish him well for the weekend," Montgomerie said. "But not that well."
For Duval, the timing couldn't be better for a breakthrough.
The five-year exemption he earned for winning the British Open, which covers the majors and the PGA Tour, runs out after this season. There are still ways Duval could stay eligible on the Tour. But the free passes to the majors -- all except the British -- are gone after this summer's PGA Championship.
Duval has a chance to change that over the weekend. It's been a long time since he could say that.
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