Former champion David Duval sets record for worst Open round in 69 years

By James Corrigan, At Royal Portrush

David Duval, the former world No 1, had so many shots at the seventh here on Thursday (Fri NZT) that it took more than two hours for the R&A to get his score right. First it was a 15, then it was a 13 and then, finally, it was a 14.

The upshot was that it equalled the second highest score for a single hole in Open history and was the most taken in 69 years.

Poor Duval. The final correction really was a kick in the balatas for the 47-year-old who thought it was humiliating enough signing for a 90. The 91 is his worst round in a quarter century of his major career that, of course, was highlighted by his Open win in 2001 at Lytham.

Duval’s shot tracker on 7 is nuts pic.twitter.com/buloZicfEZ

— No Laying Up (@NoLayingUp) July 18, 2019

One has to commend David Duval, he shot 91 today. He carded a 14 on the 7th hole, a lot of players would have withdrawn at that stage and walked in, he didn’t, he played on, that’s why he’ll always be a great champion. Well done David Duval, #theopen champion 2001. pic.twitter.com/S8oePjxjbE

— TweeterAlliss (Parody) (by Jove) (@TweeterAlliss) July 18, 2019

This description of David Duval's 14 (changed from a 13 after his round) is wild. Hope the extra shot doesn't cost him making the cut! pic.twitter.com/aF9pVVxT5c

— Alex Myers (@AlexMyers3) July 18, 2019

Ranked down in 2,080th, without a made cut in four years, the American plays a limited schedule nowadays, concentrating instead of his successful career as a TV analyst.

This is just Duval's fourth event this season, but he began brightly, birdieing first two holes. Then it veered sharply downhil, with a quadruple-bogey on the fifth, followed by the horror show two holes later. To his credit, Duval fronted up afterwards about his octuple-bogey.

David Duval of The United States plays his shot from the 7th hole during the first round of the British Open Golf Championships at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland. Photo / AP

Duval hit two provisional balls off the 7th tee and thought he was playing his third ball until he realised at the green it was "the wrong Titleist 2". Duval is colour blind and until a caddy in the group informed him did not notice the number was red, denoting a ProV X, instead of the black number on his ProV X.

Duval went back to where the wrong ball had been played, but could not find the correct ball so was obliged to return the tee to start all over again. Playing nine off the tee - after a two-shot penalty - he took six more shots. In all the madness, the marker initially put it down as a 15 and then, after the scorers erroneously decided the third provisional did not count, it was updated to a 14. Duval was as confused as anyone

"It was all a bit of a blur and fairly unsettling, obviously," Duval said, before revealing that tendonitis in his arm had "almost made it impossible to continue".

"But I wasn't hurt enough not to finish," he added. "Unless I'm really hurt or sick, I post my score. It's just one of those god-awful nightmare scenarios that happened today and I happened to be on the wrong end of it."

At least Hermann Tissie's 15 at the "Postage Stamp" in 1950 spared Duval the ultimate blushes. Tissies was actually 12-over on that hole as the eighth at Troon is a par three.