Durant masters challenge

While Tiger was away in Dubai, there was an opportunity for some relatively modest, stay-at-home mice to play. But the truth is that they have also been doing rather nicely, even while he has been in their midst, prowling around none too effectively on the USPGA Tour this season.

Indeed some humble practitioners have come into their own, with eight different winners in the nine events so far. And the world number one has not been among them. Indeed, Woods's thunder has been stolen by a certain 36-year-old named Joe Durant, who was languishing in 196th position in the world rankings at the end of January.

Durant wasn't even in familiar company down in the rankings. On either side of him were Hajime Meshiai and Kiyoshi Maita, whose names don't readily trip off the tongue in a list of the game's hierarchy, even in their native Japan. Having captured the Bob Hope Classic with a record aggregate in his previous outing, however, Durant adapted with ease to gale-force winds when winning the Genuity Championship at Doral last Sunday. A brilliant final round of 65 hauled him back from a four-stroke deficit on Canadian Mike Weir and secured victory by two strokes.

And there was a rather special bonus. Earnings of $1,493,267 so far this year have swept Durant to the top of the money list and into next month's US Masters at Augusta Natonal. "I wanted to get back there," he said, while admitting that he had Georgia on his mind with three holes of the Blue Monster still to play.

Durant went on: "What I have done this year is beyond anything I've thought about." In the process, he became the third straight champion at Doral to trail going into the final round. Jim Furyk made up three strokes to capture last year's event and Steve Elkington came from six back in the final round in 1999.

Meanwhile, in his only previous visit to the Masters two years ago, Durant had to try and overcome a fractured rib. And his lack of success can be gauged from the fact that he tumbled to a dismal, opening round of 87. "I had no idea where the ball was going," he said. "I played horrible. I was flinching on every shot but I wasn't going to drop out because I didn't know if I would ever get back.

"It was embarrassing. I hit every pond on the back nine. I kept it a little drier on the second day and shot 79. But a 36 hole total of 166 wasn't what I had been hoping for on my Masters debut." With such a lowly world ranking and without a tournament win last year, Durant's only route to Augusta this time around was through the current money list. Yesterday was the cut-off point whereby those in the top three received Masters exemptions. And Durant got through as the leader. "Hopefully, I will feel better this time around," he said. "It had always been my childhood dream to play Augusta National and I got a little excited last time. This time, it won't be such an overwhelming experience, so I'm going to relax and enjoy it."

Whatever happens, there would be no going back to the job he had taken out of desperation in 1992, working for the golf equipment outlet of Edwin Watts. Nor to a brief flirtation with selling insurance. By his own estimation, he was making about $24,000 a year back then. Which means that by those standards, he has made 62 1/2 years' salary in the last six weeks.

World rankings

1, T Woods (USA) - 27.42pts average.

2, P Mickelson (USA) - 12.08.

3, E Els (Rsa) - 11.00.

4, D Love-III (USA) - 9.10.

5, L Westwood (Eng) - 9.10.

6, C Montgomerie (Sco) - 8.61.

7, D Duval (USA) - 8.54.

8, V Singh (Fij) - 8.24.

9, H Sutton (USA) - 7.22.

10, T Lehman (USA) - 6.70.

11, D Clarke (Irl) - 6.55.

12, J Furyk (USA) - 6.18.

13, N Price (Zim) - 6.09.

14, T Bjorn (Den) - 5.84.

15, M Weir (Can) - 5.72.

16, S Garcia (Spn) - 5.60.

17, J Parnevik (Swe) - 5.57.

18, M Campbell (Nzl) - 5.46.

19, P Harrington (Irl) - 5.36.

20, S Cink (USA) - 5.30.