HAVEN, Wis. -- Five years ago at the PGA Championship, they were No. 1 and No. 2 in the world.
It was the last time Tiger Woods was chasing anyone in the Official World Golf Ranking.
On Tuesday, he was guiding David Duval around the front nine at Whistling Straits during an early morning practice round at the PGA Championship. Woods had his left hand around Duval's shoulder, and with his right hand pointed the grip of his driver in the direction of the fourth fairway, located somewhere beyond a million bunkers.
Duval took a big cut and no one flinched. The ball soared into the gray skies down the right side of the 493-yard hole, and the wind gently brought it back to the short grass.
"Fairway," Woods said as if he was giving a progress report.
It was the first time they have played together since the first two rounds of the Nissan Open last year at Riviera.
"As far as the way he's playing, I think he's on the right track," Woods said. "He's hitting some golf shots now that are solid, they are controlled. And the cool thing about him, you could see the excitement level is back.
"He will get back," Woods said. "There's no doubt about it."
There have been reasons to doubt Duval would return to the level that brought him 13 victories, including THE PLAYERS Championship in 1999 that took him to No. 1 in the world, and a British Open title in 2001 that cemented his status as one of the best in the game.
Not many could have imagined that the Claret Jug would be the last of his PGA TOUR victories.
He is newly married, happier than ever and realizes there is much more to life than chasing around a little white golf ball, all the more reason to wonder if his best days on the golf course are behind him.
And then there was Shinnecock Hills.
