David Duval (Stats | Bio) 's decision to skip this week's Masters Tournament caught some people off guard, but not those closest to him on the PGA Tour.

"Sometimes he surprises people," said Davis Love III (Stats | Bio) , one of Duval's best friends on the tour. "He just does it his own way."

Duval, who has been mired in a two-year slump that has seen him drop from No. 1 in the World Golf Ranking in 1999 to 312th this week, hasn't played in a tournament this year.

He has a five-year exemption into the Masters, though, based on his 2001 British Open victory. It expires after the 2006 Masters.

Duval missed the cut in 16 of his 20 starts in 2003 and finished 211th on the money list. He hasn't played since he missed the cut in Las Vegas on Oct. 9.

The last player to turn down a Masters invitation was John Daly (Stats | Bio) in 1997, when he was in an alcohol rehabilitation clinic.

"I think when the light turns on that he's ready, I think he's going to come out," Love said of Duval.

"It's a hard thing to pass up an invitation to Augusta," said Franklin Langham, a former Masters participant from Thomson, Ga., who didn't qualify this year.

"It took a lot of discipline on his part, but hopefully, it will pay off," Langham added. I'm sure he's saying, 'Look, I've got two more years after that to be eligible, and hopefully by then I'll get my game back.' Looking back on your career, you look at one year and you say that's just a blip on the screen. It's a tough decision, I know. It wasn't easy."

Since winning the British Open, Duval has battled shoulder and back injuries. He said he withdrew from the Masters because he wanted to give the injuries more time to heal. It was from playing with the injuries that Duval was forced to change his swing, which contributed to his poor play.

Even players who failed to make the field for the 68th Masters understand Duval's plight.

Not only is he trying to find the golf swing that helped him win 13 PGA Tour events starting in 1997, Duval has had pressing personal matters to attend to. On March 6, the 32-year-old Duval married Susan Persichitte. He has moved from Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., to Denver, Persichitte's hometown.

"Duval is probably a special case," said Duffy Waldorf, who failed to qualify for the Masters. "Maybe his game is not ready or he's got another reason. I know he just got married. No, it doesn't surprise me. That's kind of the beauty of being exempt, you get to choose. We're all trying to get exempt at each level so we can have as many choices as we can. He's in a position where he's got choices. It's nice. That's why we want to win a major."

Duval had considered playing last week's BellSouth Classic in Duluth, Ga., as a tuneup for the Masters, but decided against it. When he skipped that event, it became doubtful that he'd play the Masters, an event where his return would have been big news.

Duval finished no worse than sixth in the Masters from 1998 to 2001, including two runner-up finishes. He missed the cut the past two years, shooting 74-74-148 in 2002 and 79-83-162 in 2003 at an Augusta National Golf Club that had been toughened up with added yardage.

"I sure wouldn't want that to be my first tournament back after such a long layoff," Langham said. "It would have been a lot to deal with. If I were him, and that's probably what he was thinking, that he'd rather start at a lesser tournament than a major like Augusta, where you're going to be under such a microscope."

"David hasn't played yet at all this year, so why would he start now?" said Scott McCarron, another player who failed to qualify for the Masters.

Duval is hoping to return April 22 at the Houston Open.

Love and Jim Furyk (Stats | Bio) were the only tour pros who attended Duval's wedding near Jacksonville, Fla.

"I think his mental state is so good right now, he doesn't want to mess it up by coming back to and playing golf," Love said. "Right now he's motivated to get back into feeling like he's working hard and then when he comes back to play, know he's ready and confident that he's ready.

"A lot of us have told him, 'Look, leave it alone for a while and come back when you get it sorted out in your head.' I think that's what he's doing now," Love said. "He's saying, 'Yeah, I could play, I'm eligible for these tournaments, but I don't feel like I'm ready, so I'm not going to play yet.' "

Fred Couples (Stats | Bio) , another of Duval's friends on the tour, admires the way Duval has faced his struggles on the golf course, never avoiding hard questions from reporters.

"I mean, this guy is incredible," Couples said. "People don't know him. I have a lot of respect for David Duval (Stats | Bio) . For a long time, it was for his golf game. And then it was how he handled himself.

"He was No. 1 in the world, and for a time he couldn't break 73 or 74," Couples said. "He's a better man than me. I would have really struggled with that. He has been practicing and playing, and hopefully, it will click."

"Obviously, the playing bad and the wedding have kept him away for a while, but I think when he comes back, he's going to play very good," Love said. "I hope that's not wishful thinking. He's been working hard, and he's happy. I think he lost his enthusiasm a little bit, and now I think he's got it back."

Reach David Westin at (706) 724-0851 or david.westin@augustachronicle.com.