Masters rookie David Duval, a four-time first team All-American at Georgia Tech, is sharing his thoughts with staff writer David Westin for a daily diary this week. Duval, a fourth-year professional, earned his Masters invitation by finishing among the top 30 money winners on the PGA Tour in 1995. He was 11th with $881,436. This year, Duval is 22nd on the money list with $226,066. He has finished fourth and third in his last two tournaments.

I didn't play as well as I expected to on Sunday. I'm very disappointed with my round.

I didn't think the course played harder. I just turned a 69 or 70 into a 76. For the tournament, I finished tied for 18th place. I shot 73-72-69 in the first three rounds. With my 76 in the final round, I finished at 2-over-par 290.

That news was about the only bright spot of the day, considering the way I finished. I was hoping my poor play on the last four holes - I made bogey on all of them - wouldn't cost me the top 24.

I made a double bogey on No. 2. It went in the creek down the left side. I dropped and then I hit a tree but it went out in the fairway. I hit my next shot in the bunker and failed to get up and down.

I was 2-over par for the day after nine holes and then I birdied Nos. 10 and 13. I hit it 3 feet for birdie on No. 14 and missed it. I had it 15 feet off the green on No. 15 and it took me four to get down and I made bogey.

On No. 16, I hit it 5 feet above the hole, which is no good unless you make it. It took me three putts there. On No. 17, I hit a sand wedge that came back off the green. That cost me a shot and I made bogey there. On No. 18, I hit it short of the green, which isn't the place to be, and made another bogey.

I missed a 45-foot birdie putt on No. 11 that I thought was going in the hole. I didn't see it stopping at all, but it did. I thought I'd canned it.

I just failed to hole any of my putts from No. 14 on. I was hoping that wouldn't hurt me too bad.

I've had a flu bug since Tuesday morning and I didn't feel very well on Sunday morning. I was just very tired and felt a little sick again. But nothing compared to the way I felt on Thursday.

Some people say my game is suited to this course. I think it is a pretty good match. I did some things the last couple of days that I don't usually try to do and I pulled them off. I was turning over drivers on Nos. 10, 13 and even 14. I normally hit a high cut and it's a lot easier to stop the ball on these greens doing that than hitting a draw. I feel like I can perform well here in the future. I see myself doing well here. I guess I got a taste of what everybody talks about. I just can't wait to come back.

I wouldn't say anything about the golf course has been tougher than I thought it would be. As much as you prepare yourself for it, you still don't realize how hard it is to make putts here. There are very few places you can actually get the ball rolling at the hole at any pace. That's something you learn and try to bear in mind.

I feel like I can play the golf course all right. But there is a time you must learn. Every day, you're learning more and more.

I thought about having a local caddy go with me and I used one in the practice rounds. I think I've made the right decision going with my regular caddy, Jeff Weber. No matter what someone will tell who has been around here years and years, you're just not going to believe some of it until you see it for yourself.

Like putting on No. 17. You're putting up a hill and you won't believe it if someone tells you that it is fast. You think it's got to be slow, but it is fast. You think you're putting up a hill and someone tells you it's going to be really fast, you say `whoa.' It's something you have to learn on your own.

I'm going to play in the MCI Classic in Hilton Head Island, S.C., this week. I hope I feel better.

I imagine it will be a bit more relaxing week. This is a fun tournament to participate in. At the same time, playing a round of golf here is high stress because everything has to be so exact. This week may I can kick back a little more.