There is no ranting, boisterous egomaniac underneath that golf shirt buttoned to the top. Duval's personality mirrors his playing style. His patience, composure and forward thinking have propelled him to the top of the golf world.

Duval personifies low key. His patented poker face rarely changes, regardless of the situation. Compared to the charismatic Tiger Woods, Duval has been labeled dull and emotionless.

``If that's the perception, that's fine,'' Duval said. ``That's how I try to play. I try not to make mistakes. I try to make it a very stress-free round of golf every time I tee it up.

``I don't want to have to worry about bogeys and double bogeys. I try to keep the stress level as minimal as I can.''

Last year's Masters co-runner-up will play with Fred Couples and Davis Love III in the annual Par-3 Contest today at the Augusta National Golf Club. Duval's quest for his first major championship begins at 1:23 p.m. on Thursday when he tees off with Nick Price and Bob Tway.

It's his approach that enabled the Jacksonville, Fla., native to shoot a PGA Tour record-tying 59 in the final round of the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic on Jan. 18. That score prompted his biggest emotional outpouring. He pumped his arms a few times, then raised both in ecstasy.

Experience has taught the 27-year-old the importance of patience. Duval steadily rose to his current No. 1 status by remaining focused on the grand scheme. He finished 25 of 49 events from 1995-96 in the Top 25 but never walked off the course victorious.

Duval closed out the 1997 season by winning the final three tournaments he played to become the tour's second-best money winner. When others questioned when he would win, Duval refused to alter his approach.

While his peers cursed their clubs or pouted following a bad shot, Duval remained stone-faced -- already thinking of his next.

``You have to find a demeanor and personality under which you perform your best,'' Duval said. ``For me, that's not worrying about stuff. Other players might get fired up by getting upset. That doesn't do it for me.

``It doesn't serve me well at all. ... I can't re-hit a shot, I can only move forward.''

Duval has plowed through the PGA Tour the last two years. His eight tour wins have pushed his earnings to more than $5 million in the last 15 months.

His Oakley sunglasses, closely-cropped hair, Tommy Hilfiger clothing and former goatee quickly made Duval a recognizable figure as his victories mounted. Staying true to himself catapulted Duval past Woods in the World Golf Ranking two weeks ago.

Woods attributed Duval's success to his unflappable nature.

``I got to know him pretty good at the President's Cup and hung out with him a little bit,'' Woods said. ``He's very calm, levelheaded. It comes out when he plays. He plays methodically, very cool.

``He doesn't get excited, doesn't get frustrated. He just goes about his business and that's the way he is off the course as well.''

The serene surroundings of snow boarding at Sun Valley, Idaho, or fly fishing in Montana reflect Duval's inner calm. He enjoys outdoor activities that provide solitude and pit him not against another competitor but himself.

The more he wins, the more demands he has on his time. Though he acknowledges the responsibility professional golfers have to the public and the media, he isn't fond of the spotlight.

``It doesn't bother me, I embrace it,'' Duval said. ``It's part of playing tournament golf. If I had to choose, would I seek it out? No, I think everybody knows I wouldn't seek out attention.''

Defending Masters champion Mark O'Meara can appreciate the crush Duval is enduring this week. Duval enters with a two-tournament winning streak and as the prohibitive favorite.

``The media attention one person gets such as Tiger Woods or David Duval definitely takes a bit of a toll,'' O'Meara said. ``It takes time away from his success. He's under the microscope. He's going to be scrutinized, and it takes a toll on him.''

Duval's personal life is the taboo subject. Inquiries involving his relationship with his father and the death of his older brother are met with a steely stare. Bob Duval won his first Senior PGA Tour event the same day his son won the Players Championship in his hometown of Jacksonville, Fla.

Although they shared their accomplishments together on March 28, they haven't always been so close. Bob and Diane Duval divorced in 1993, creating some tension between father and son.

Duval's family was struck by tragedy in 1981 when his older brother, Brent, died. Bone-marrow transplants from David could not prevent Brent from succumbing to poisoning complications stemming from aplastic anemia. David Duval donated bone marrow to his brother in an effort to combat the disease.

The PGA Tour's hottest and most calculating figure offered just three words when asked how frequently he thinks about his brother.

``Not very often,'' Duval said.

Even his caddie, Mitch Knox, respectfully declined to comment on Duval's personality off the course.

Contrary to what you may have heard, Duval does smile. He let a few slip out in Tuesday's press conference. He continued to downplay his celebrity status but voluntarily extended his interview session.

The man who first picked up a golf club at 11 months says golf provides him the opportunity to escape his new-found status.

``Once we start on Thursday, there's one area that we can think about entirely,'' Duval said. ``That's one area where I don't have to think about anything else but playing golf anymore. I can just think entirely about David Duval and playing golf.''

He admits having normal human mood swings but insists those emotions don't interfere with his game.

``Certainly stuff bothers me away from the golf course,'' Duval said. ``But I try not to let other things outside dictate whether I'm in a good mood or not or whether I'm happy or not. I guess that's just kind of what it boils down to.''

No one has ever won The Players Championship and Masters in the same year so Duval has history against him. However, Duval enters Thursday's first round hotter than anyone since Doug Sanders won consecutive tournaments entering the 1966 Masters.

O'Meara left Duval heartbroken with birdies on the final two holes in last year's Masters. The unwavering stalwart is anxious to slip into a green jacket although his face would never betray his true emotions.