Bob Duval
Encyclopedia
Robert Duval is an American
professional golfer
and is best known for being the father of David Duval
, formerly the top-ranked player in the world.
, the son of professional golfer Henry '"Hap" Duval, and grew up in upstate New York
. His father worked full-time for the United States Post Office Department
starting at 4 a.m., then taught or played golf until dark, weather permitting. In order to be around his father, Bob learned to play golf when he was six, but the game was also a fit with his competitive nature. He attended Florida State University
on a golf scholarship, but Hubert Green
was the star of the college team.
in Jacksonville
as an assistant pro in 1968. The following year, he switched to the municipal course in Fernandina Beach for four years. His son Brent was born in 1969, followed by David in 1971 and Deirdre in 1976. Duval returned to Timuquana as head pro in 1973, and stayed there for thirteen years while raising his children.
. The family sought treatment at Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital
in Cleveland, Ohio
, where younger brother David, who was 9, underwent surgery to donate bone marrow. Unfortunately, the transplant was not successful, and Brent died as a result of blood poisoning on May 17, 1981 at age 12.
Both Bob and Diane used alcohol to numb the emotional pain and their relationship deteriorated.
Duval was unable to cope, and moved out of the family home for a year. Counseling enabled him to reunite with his wife and children, and in 1987, he accepted an offer to be golf pro at the Plantation, a new gated, golf community in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
. Duval's father, "Hap" died in 1991, and Bob was unhappy in his marriage, so in 1993, he left his family permanently and the divorce was final in 1996. When Bob began seeing Sharon Blum,
David stood by his mother, who was deeply depressed. He blamed his father and their relationship diminished. After some time had passed, they begain talking again, and David realized that his father was happy.
Duval played in some "club pro" tournaments to sharpen his game. He and Shari were together constantly, and got married in 1996. Jack Nicklaus
put together a series of 14 south Florida tournaments called the Golden Bear Tour. The entry fee was $15,000 plus living expenses, and Duval didn't have the money. Shari created a business proposal for individuals to sponsor Bob Duval's tour career. Six friends invested $5,000 each, which would be reimbursed from winnings. Duval won one of the tournaments and was certain he could make it on the tour. His total winnings were $29,000, allowing him to repay the sponsors.
He has about two dozen top-10 finishes including a wire-to-wire win at the 1999 Emerald Coast Classic which he shared with his new wife, Shari. His win came on the same day that his son David won The Players Championship
on the PGA Tour and ascended to the #1 ranking in the world.
, the publisher at Basic Books
. The company was creating a series of books categorized as the Art of Mentoring
. The first book, Letters to a Young Lawyer, was written by Alan Dershowitz
.
He was directed to give advice and guidance to his son and other family members or friends, but delivered in the form of a personal letter rather than a commentary. It was suggested that he write what he would have written at significant milestones in his or the recipient's life, and include humorous or life-changing stories.
Duval was assisted by freelance writer Carl Vigeland, who wrote a Playboy
magazine article on David Duval in November 1999. Letters to a Young Golfer was published in 2002.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional golfer
Professional golfer
In golf the distinction between amateurs and professionals is rigorously maintained. An amateur who breaches the rules of amateur status may lose his or her amateur status. A golfer who has lost his or her amateur status may not play in amateur competitions until amateur status has been reinstated;...
and is best known for being the father of David Duval
David Duval
David Robert Duval is an American professional golfer and former World No. 1 who competes on the PGA Tour.-Early years:...
, formerly the top-ranked player in the world.
Early years
Duval was born in Schenectady, New YorkSchenectady, New York
Schenectady is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 66,135...
, the son of professional golfer Henry '"Hap" Duval, and grew up in upstate New York
Upstate New York
Upstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...
. His father worked full-time for the United States Post Office Department
United States Post Office Department
The Post Office Department was the name of the United States Postal Service when it was a Cabinet department. It was headed by the Postmaster General....
starting at 4 a.m., then taught or played golf until dark, weather permitting. In order to be around his father, Bob learned to play golf when he was six, but the game was also a fit with his competitive nature. He attended Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
on a golf scholarship, but Hubert Green
Hubert Green
Hubert Myatt Green is an American professional golfer who has won numerous professional golf tournaments at both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour level....
was the star of the college team.
Club pro
Duval did not consider playing on the pro tour; he married his first wife, Diane Poole, and was hired at Timuquana Country ClubTimuquana Country Club
Timuquana Country Club is a private golf and country club in Jacksonville, Florida. Located in Jacksonville's Ortega neighborhood, it was founded in 1923. Its golf course was originally designed by legend Donald Ross, and members have included PGA Tour professionals Steve Melnyk and David Duval...
in Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
as an assistant pro in 1968. The following year, he switched to the municipal course in Fernandina Beach for four years. His son Brent was born in 1969, followed by David in 1971 and Deirdre in 1976. Duval returned to Timuquana as head pro in 1973, and stayed there for thirteen years while raising his children.
Tragedy
Duval's oldest son, Brent, developed aplastic anemiaAplastic anemia
Aplastic anemia is a condition where bone marrow does not produce sufficient new cells to replenish blood cells. The condition, per its name, involves both aplasia and anemia...
. The family sought treatment at Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital
Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital
Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital is a 244-bed children's hospital located in Cleveland, Ohio. It is a part of University Hospitals Case Medical Center, formerly University Hospitals of Cleveland. It is consistently ranked as one of the top three pediatric hospital in the Midwest and a top 10...
in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, where younger brother David, who was 9, underwent surgery to donate bone marrow. Unfortunately, the transplant was not successful, and Brent died as a result of blood poisoning on May 17, 1981 at age 12.
Both Bob and Diane used alcohol to numb the emotional pain and their relationship deteriorated.
Duval was unable to cope, and moved out of the family home for a year. Counseling enabled him to reunite with his wife and children, and in 1987, he accepted an offer to be golf pro at the Plantation, a new gated, golf community in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
Ponte Vedra Beach is an unincorporated seaside community in St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Located eighteen miles southeast of downtown Jacksonville and north of St. Augustine, it is part of the Jacksonville Beaches area. It is an upmarket tourist resort area best known for its...
. Duval's father, "Hap" died in 1991, and Bob was unhappy in his marriage, so in 1993, he left his family permanently and the divorce was final in 1996. When Bob began seeing Sharon Blum,
David stood by his mother, who was deeply depressed. He blamed his father and their relationship diminished. After some time had passed, they begain talking again, and David realized that his father was happy.
Senior golf
As his 50th birthday approached, David encouraged him to join the Senior PGA Tour (now known as the Champions Tour). Bob stated, "When he told me that he believed in my game, especially after what we had been through, it did a lot for my confidence."Duval played in some "club pro" tournaments to sharpen his game. He and Shari were together constantly, and got married in 1996. Jack Nicklaus
Jack Nicklaus
Jack William Nicklaus , nicknamed "The Golden Bear", is an American professional golfer. He won 18 career major championships on the PGA Tour over a span of 25 years and is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional golfers of all time. In addition to his 18 Majors, he was runner-up a...
put together a series of 14 south Florida tournaments called the Golden Bear Tour. The entry fee was $15,000 plus living expenses, and Duval didn't have the money. Shari created a business proposal for individuals to sponsor Bob Duval's tour career. Six friends invested $5,000 each, which would be reimbursed from winnings. Duval won one of the tournaments and was certain he could make it on the tour. His total winnings were $29,000, allowing him to repay the sponsors.
He has about two dozen top-10 finishes including a wire-to-wire win at the 1999 Emerald Coast Classic which he shared with his new wife, Shari. His win came on the same day that his son David won The Players Championship
The Players Championship
The Players Championship is an annual golf tournament on the PGA Tour.Originally known as the Tournament Players Championship, the inaugural event in 1974 was played at Atlanta Country Club in Marietta, Georgia before moving to the Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas in 1975 and Inverrary...
on the PGA Tour and ascended to the #1 ranking in the world.
Author
In June 2001 Duval received a letter from John DonatichJohn Donatich
-Early life:He received a BA from New York University in 1982, graduating magna cum laude. He also got a master's degree from NYU in 1984, graduating summa cum laude.-Career:...
, the publisher at Basic Books
Basic Books
Basic Books is a book publisher founded in 1952 and located in New York. It publishes books in the fields of psychology, philosophy, economics, science, politics, sociology, current affairs, and history.-History:...
. The company was creating a series of books categorized as the Art of Mentoring
Art of Mentoring
The Art of Mentoring series was a series of books published by Basic Books from 2001 to 2008, beginning with Alan Dershowitz's Letters to a Young Lawyer and Christopher Hitchens' Letters to a Young Contrarian. The books were all titled in the form "Letters to a Young ____", in the spirit of Rainer...
. The first book, Letters to a Young Lawyer, was written by Alan Dershowitz
Alan Dershowitz
Alan Morton Dershowitz is an American lawyer, jurist, and political commentator. He has spent most of his career at Harvard Law School where in 1967, at the age of 28, he became the youngest full professor of law in its history...
.
He was directed to give advice and guidance to his son and other family members or friends, but delivered in the form of a personal letter rather than a commentary. It was suggested that he write what he would have written at significant milestones in his or the recipient's life, and include humorous or life-changing stories.
Duval was assisted by freelance writer Carl Vigeland, who wrote a Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
magazine article on David Duval in November 1999. Letters to a Young Golfer was published in 2002.