DATE: Monday, October 13, 1997              TAG: 9710130147

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: WILLIAMSBURG                      LENGTH:   69 lines

WAITE HAD NO TROUBLE FINDING A SILVER LININGDESPITE LOSING IN PLAYOFF, HE WAS BUOYED BY STRONG FINISH OF 5 BIRDIES ON BACK 9.

David Duval wasn't the only winner Sunday at the Michelob Championship at Kingsmill.

Grant Waite beat the Sunday demon inside himself.

``Six months ago, when things were not going well and I changed my approach to this game,'' Waite said, ``from there to here, where I came down the stretch is such a giant leap for me that I can't describe it.''

Waite, a 34-year-old New Zealander, entered the final round with a Sunday scoring average of 71.94, the best way to turn steak into hamburger on the PGA Tour.

But he charged from behind on Kingsmill's back nine to wedge his way into the three-way playoff with Duval and Duffy Waldorf. And he had the far better of the two chances at extending Duval to another hole, except that he left his tricky, treacherous uphill birdie putt about 18 inches short of the hole.

``I read it perfect, just left it short,'' Waite said. ``I thought David probably would make his. At least I made him have to make his putt, have to earn it.''

Waite even stood a slight chance that Duval, 10 feet left of the cup, would miss. While finishing regulation moments before, Waite had a birdie putt on the same line as Duval's, just 10 feet further away.

``I told my caddie, `This putt fooled me; maybe it will fool him, too,' '' Waite said.

It didn't, leaving Waite to ponder a Sunday afternoon that was just a hair less than perfect.

Starting the day at 9 under par, Waite played the first 12 holes in even par and was three shots off the lead.

``I struggled early, and when I made a mistake, it was a bogey,'' Waite said. ``But I told myself to hang in there, that you never know when the hole is going to open up. And it did.''

Immediately.

On the par-3 13th, Waite chipped in for birdie from the left edge. On the par-4 14th, he slapped an 8-iron approach 8 feet from the cup and holed it for another birdie. On the par-5 15th, Waite needed a driver, 1-iron from the fairway and chip to gain birdie position - and did it, sinking a 2-footer.

Finally, at the par-4 16th, Waite ripped a driver, then a 9-iron to 12 feet and holed that for his fourth consecutive birdie. That drew him even with Duval and Waldorf and set up the playoff.

There, he ran into a little bad luck. His drive left him in the middle of the fairway, 168 yards to the flag. He held a 7-iron in his hand while waiting for Waldorf to play out his trouble, only to have a slight gust of wind come up when it was his turn to hit.

That set off a game of mental chess. Waite knew the 6-iron was the better play, but also knew that he was dripping adrenaline and that it might turn out to be too much club. So he stayed with the 7, but wound up well beneath the hole and had to putt up over a ridge.

His birdie attempt was on line, but lost steam coming up the ridge and stopped short of the hole. One stroke later, Duval had won his first PGA Tour title and Waite had the consolation prize.

``That back nine was very exciting,'' Waite said. ``Coming down the stretch, when I needed a shot, I did it. When I needed a putt, I got it. When you're going bad, you've got to be able to pick yourself up and wait until things turn around. That's what happened today.'' ILLUSTRATION: HUY NGUYEN color photos/The Virginian-Pilot

...David Duval...

Duffy Waldorf...

Grant Waite...

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