AP Sportswriter Paul Newberry has an feature on David Duval, who’s playing in this week’s tournament.

DULUTH, Ga. — David Duval got started on the next tournament in his latest comeback at one of his favorite restaurants.

Waffle House.

“I had eggs, chicken, toast, grits and a double order of hash browns,” Duval said, breaking into a smile that has seemed so hard to muster through much of his golfing career. “Gotta have the double order of hash browns.”

Now, if only Duval could order up the shots that once made him the world’s No. 1 player.

It’s been seven years since he was that aloof, buffed-up golfer in the dark, wraparound sunglasses, striking fear into lesser players and looking every bit like this generation’s most worthy challenger to Tiger Woods.

But, instead of playing the Tom Watson role to Woods’ Jack Nicklaus, Duval became the guy who would have trouble competing at Q-school. He still has his PGA Tour card, but that has more to do with personal hardship than anything he’s done lately on the course.

Duval played in only seven tournaments in 2007, stepping aside to be with his wife during a difficult pregnancy. He’s played eight times this year on a “family crisis” waiver, but has yet to make a cut. Yep, the guy who’s won nearly $17 million in his career has yet to earn a single dollar in 2008.

He’s also heavier than he was in his prime, carrying a noticeable bulge around his midsection. He is listed at 180 pounds, but he’s probably closer to 200 and says he needs to lose about 20 pounds. But Duval insists he’s happy with his life and confident he can turn things around.

The mystery continues. How one of the world’s best players has fallen so far, so fast, is astonishing.

The one-liners were flying at the Players Championship this past weekend. Sergio Garcia, however, may have won not only the Players, but also the award for the best quote:

“First of all,” Garcia said, “I want to thank Tiger for not being here. That always makes things a little bit easier.”

Runner Up, Paul Goydos:

Q. Two things; one on golf, one on non-golf. Did this all start at the end of 2006? In other words, did your game turn around when you won down in Florida, where all of a sudden you started playing well? And what school did you actually teach at?
PAUL GOYDOS: I think I’m a better player than I’ve ever been. That said, so is everybody else who plays out here (laughter), which is the problem.

A funny comment from Paul Goydos was just reported on the tournament telecast:

Goydos apparently noticed that Sergio Garcia had hit a seven iron where Goydos had hit a four iron. Goydos said “I think we’re in trouble if Sergio’s clubs are divisible by ours.”

Jeff Maggert’s brother died in a small plane accident in Colorado:

Jeff Maggert withdrew from The Players Championship, telling tournament officials that his brother died in a small plane crash in Colorado en route to his son’s college graduation.

The Gilpin County (Colo.) Sheriff’s office said one man died and a 23-year-old passenger was injured Thursday afternoon when the single-engine plane crashed into a snowy mountain in Black Hawk, about 40 miles west of Denver.

Jeff Maggert, seen here at a tournament in March, left The Players Championship after his brother was killed in a plane crash in Colorado on Thursday.

Maggert told the PGA Tour that his older brother, Barry Maggert, died in the crash.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with Jeff and his family,” PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said.

Barry Maggert was on his way to Boulder for his son’s graduation from the University of Colorado. He had 23-year-old twin sons, Leen and Bryant. Gilpin County officials were waiting for the family arrive to release the name of the passenger.

More here.

ESPN’s Jason Sobel says that among the Majors, The Players gets it “just right.”

Once upon a time, there was a group of golfers who traveled to Augusta, Ga., for the year’s first major championship. The wind howled, the greens were fast and their scores soared. “This tournament is too hard!” they cried.

Later in the year, that same group of golfers happened upon the U.S. Open for the year’s second major championship. The course was long, the rough was gnarly and once again their scores soared. “This tournament is too tricky!” they claimed.

In between, the golfers came to the Players Championship, technically not a major but the next-biggest event of the year. Good shots were rewarded with good results. Bad shots were penalized with bad results. And the golfers were overjoyed by what they considered to be a satisfactory course setup. “This tournament is just right!” they crowed.

He may be on to something.