SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. - David Duval stood on the putting green - chatting with old friends, introducing his new wife, catching up on what's happened the last seven months.

Through it all, he couldn't stop smiling.

Welcome back, David.

Duval makes his return to competitive golf in the toughest test of all, teeing off early Thursday morning in the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club.

A curious decision, for sure, considering his last tournament was in November. And he didn't even finish.

To Duval, an often-enigmatic figure who was the last player not named Tiger Woods to be ranked No. 1 in the world, it all seemed right.

"I just wanted to go play," said Duval, who made his decision Saturday night. "For no other reason than I just felt like I was going to go have some fun and enjoy it again. Up to that point, I hadn't wanted to play."

Always a man of mystery in those wraparound glasses, Duval opened up his soul for all to see Wednesday, revealing the inner workings of a complex figure who once stood on top of the golfing world, then let it all slip away.

"You know, the life out on this tour is long. It's hard. It's lonely. And I've been doing this for a long, long time," Duval said. "In some sense, to be honest with you, I haven't missed it. I haven't missed being away.

"But I just wanted to play this week."

So play he will, with no expectations, just a renewed desire to knock around that little white ball. The ranking that was once No. 1 has plunged to 434. Just making the cut in the 156-player field would be a major accomplishment.

That was apparent during his first practice round at Shinnecock. He opened with a 3-wood that hooked into the gallery, took a hop and hit a man in the back of the head.

Not to worry. He couldn't stop smiling.

"I came to play and have fun, just simply be out here and enjoy it," Duval said.

Others are playing for a lot more. Start with Tiger Woods, who has gone seven majors without winning after a dominating 7-of-11 run in golf's biggest events.

He is under more scrutiny than ever because of his engagement to a Swedish nanny, his divorce from high-profile coach Butch Harmon and shots that don't always go where he's aiming.

Woods' slump - if you can call it that - has given Ernie Els and Vijay Singh a chance to move up to No. 1 in the world, a position Woods claimed from Duval on Aug. 16, 1999, and has held ever since.

"I'm playing as good as I've ever played," Singh said. "I can't do any more than just go out there and try to win the golf tournament."

Duval isn't the only player making a comeback this week. Jim Furyk, the defending Open champion, had surgery on his wrist three months ago and counted himself out. Lo and behold, he played two full rounds last week and decided Friday to give it a shot.

Can he win? Put him in the same league with Duval.

"My expectations are high," Furyk said. "They're not that high."

He's already part of history, one of six straight first-time major winners. The streak began with Rich Beem in the 2002 PGA Championship and stayed alive with Phil Mickelson in the Masters two months ago.

Certainly, it's not out of the question that another neophyte will hoist the trophy Sunday as the sun sets on Long Island.

That list starts with Sergio Garcia, the consensus choice to inherit Mickelson's former title of Best Player Never to Win a Major.

But also keep an eye on players such as Chad Campbell and Padraig Harrington, who seem poised for a major breakthrough.

"Chad Campbell could easily win this week," said Lee Janzen, a two-time Open winner. "He swings fearlessly and he plays fearlessly. Those are two good things to have at this tournament."

These days, it doesn't hurt to be a guy who's never won at this level. Els, at the 2002 British Open, was the last player to win a major when he'd already done it before.

"I always feel that when I play a major, I really need to be in contention over the weekend," Els said. "Maybe other players just like to come in and not really have any expectations and just enjoy the week for what it is."

Garcia is hardly unknown, finishing second to Woods in the 1999 PGA Championship and fourth in the U.S. Open two years ago.

The 24-year-old Spaniard is peaking at just the right time. He's won twice in the past five weeks, taking the Byron Nelson and the Buick Classic last week at Westchester.

"I'm pretty comfortable with my game," Garcia said. "I've been getting quite consistent throughout these past years. I really feel like I have a bit more confidence in myself to try to do something here."

Duval is approaching things with a totally different mind-set.

"I can't tell you when I'm going to play again," he said. "I just wanted to play this week. That's it."

Then he smiled. Again.