After being a runner-up on no fewer than seven occasions, David Duval eventually became a tournament winner last weekend, when he captured the Michelob Championship for a top prize of $279,000. And it came less than a month before his 26th birthday, on November 9th.

Given his impressive form in the Walker Cup at Portmarnock in 1991, Duval always looked destined for the top. Doubts began to arise, however, when he was three times runner-up in 1995, his first full season on the USPGA Tour.

Then came two second-place finishes last year. And his competitive qualities came seriously into question when the pattern continued this season. He was tied second behind Mark O'Meara in the Pebble Beach Pro-Am last February and runner-up yet again, to Scott McCarron in the BellSouth Classic in May.

Further disappointment came from his failure to make the US Ryder Cup team. As so often happens in sport, however, the breakthrough came unexpectedly, after he had missed the cut in the Texas Open and the BC Open, before finishing ninth in the Buick Challenge on October 5th.

Duval was born into the game. In fact last year, he caddied in a Senior Tour event for his father, Bobby, who later earned his player's card at the Senior Tour School. Now, the earnings of Duval Jnr have been boosted to $895,308 from 27 events this season, pushing his career money beyond $3 million in only four years as a professional.

The top 10 in the US money list are (US unless states): 1 Tiger Woods $1,949,920; 2 Justin Leonard $1,463,531; 3 Davis Love $1,348,523; 4 Scott Hoch $1,275,555; 5 Greg Norman (Australia) $1,248,256; 6 Steve Elkington (Australia) $1,240,411; 7 Ernie Els (South Africa) $1,176,608; 8 Jim Furyk $1,164,890; 9 Phil Mickelson $1,121,990; 10 Brad Faxon $1,093,505.