Duval - amazing slide (Getty Images)

David Duval, world number one when the US Open was last staged at Pinehurst in 1999, is not even in the top 600 on his return this week.

The 33-year-old has not made a single appearance since the Masters two months ago, but he has had something to celebrate during his latest lay-off - the birth on April 21 of his first child Brayden Brent.

Last year's US Open ended a seven-month absence from the sport by Duval, whose career nosedived soon after he won the 2001 Open championship at Royal Lytham.

Whether he will ever be a force again remains to be seen, though. His record this season is a sad tale of seven missed cuts and one withdrawal - and he is 106 over par so far.

In fact, in 25 events going back to the 2003 US Open Duval has made only three halfway cuts.

At Shinnecock Hills last year he actually birdied the very first hole of his comeback and at Augusta in April he led early in the first round, but both occasions ended with an early exit.

During the recent break Duval spent time with his old college coach Puggy Blackmon, who showed him the difference between the swing that took him to the top of the game and where he is now.

"My left shoulder was anywhere from two to five inches ahead of the ball and that's a recipe for hitting it 100 yards to the right, which I've done.

"But my body is starting to remember. There's no reason I can't have some success."

Duval's schedule includes the Open at St Andrews next month. He was second with a round to play there five years ago and mounted the only challenge to Tiger Woods on the final afternoon before tangling with the Road Bunker at the 17th, running up a quadruple bogey eight and dropping to 11th.

He flew to Troon for last year's event, but pulled out just before he was due to tee off.