IRVING, Texas -- David Duval gets only limited chances on the PGA Tour these days, much different than 15 years ago when he was the No. 1 player in the world. So Duval gutted it out Thursday at the Byron Nelson Championship despite the pain from a muscle issue in his right elbow, a day after his stepson had to drive him because he couldnt even use that arm. "Im just glad I chose to tee off today because I was seriously considering not," said Duval, who almost withdrew about a half-hour before his round. Duval, now 42 years old and ranked 890th in the world, birdied his last three holes -- Nos. 7-9 -- after pitching in from 57 feet for another birdie at the fifth hole. He shot 4-under 66, a stroke behind leader Peter Hanson and tied with Marc Leishman and Tim Wilkinson. After a bogey on his 12th hole, the 528-yard third hole, Duval was even par for his round. He had the long pitch on No. 5, and a similar shot from 43 feet at the par-5 seventh hole started his closing birdie stretch. He sank putts of 3 1/2 and 17 feet to finish. "Im tickled pink it feels as good as it does right now," Duval said. "Im not getting to play a whole lot right now and it would have been a hard thing to swallow not to be able to tee off." Duvals arm started bothering him Tuesday when he hit 20 or 30 balls after getting to North Texas, and he managed to play only six holes after having a trainer work on his arm. He had an injection that night and hit only 20 or 30 more balls Wednesday before he couldnt even move his arm. He got more treatment before teeing off Thursday. As a 13-time winner on the PGA Tour, his last victory in the 2001 British Open, Duval has past champion status. But past champions are 32nd in the line of 36 categories to fill open spots in tournament fields. "A little disadvantage when you dont get to play consistently," he said. "But I have the utmost confidence in what Im trying to do right now, and I feel like I can succeed even with that sporadic schedule." Martin Kaymer, The Players Championship winner Sunday, was among eight players at 67. When Duval finished his round, he had a share of the lead -- until Hanson sank a 6-foot putt at No. 18 for his only back-nine birdie. Duval hasnt led the end of any round on the PGA Tour since the fourth of five rounds at Las Vegas in 2002. This is his only his eighth tournament this season, matching last years total. Hanson made the turn at 5 under after shooting 30 on the front side. The Swede couldnt keep up the pace on the back nine at TPC Four Seasons that he hadnt played before Thursday because of travel issues and a sore back. "I still have quite a bit of pain, but I really wanted to play this week," Hanson said. "Heading over to Europe the next two weeks. We have a big tournament, Wentworth, and then my national open back in Sweden the week after that. This is a bit of a test." Leishman was the only of the top four who played in the morning, and had a tap-in birdie putt at the par-3 second hole. His only bogey, at the 431-yard fourth hole after missing the green, was sandwiched by a pair of birdies. "It was fairly stress-free for the most part," the Australian said after hitting 13 of 14 fairways and 16 greens in regulation. It was Leishmans best-scoring round since opening with a 66 at Torrey Pines in January when he was the runner-up with his second consecutive top-five finish. In eight tournaments since, he missed three cuts and his only finish in the top 30 was his tie for 23th at The Players Championship. Jordan Spieth had to birdie two of his last three holes for an even-par 70 at the course where he made the cut as an amateur at ages 16 and 17. Spieth, now 20 and the eighth-ranked player in the world, had a double-bogey 6 after driving into the water at No. 3, his 12th hole. With a large gallery following him only four days after he was in the final group with Kaymer at The Players, the Masters runner-up from Dallas hit only four of 14 fairways and 10 of 18 greens in regulation. Spieth played with defending Nelson champ Sang-Moon Bae, the South Korean who had an opening 73. Jaromir Jagr Penguins Jersey . -- Arizona came out of its last meeting with California a bit discombobulated, hurting from its first loss and the loss of forward Brandon Ashley for the rest of the season. Ron Francis Penguins Jersey . -- Theres been so much talk about Mike Moustakas at the plate that the third baseman ignored the conversation Wednesday -- even after doing something positive. http://www.penguinsauthenticofficial.com/mario-lemieux-jersey/ . Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Frank Thomas appeared to be on track to gain election from the Baseball Writers Association of America on Wednesday, and Craig Biggio could join them. Jake Guentzel Jersey ., will experience this week. A year in which the Canadian curling championship has been pushed forward a week to accommodate the Winter Olympics was deemed the perfect chance to stage the event in Montreal for the first time since 1979. Kris Letang Penguins Jersey . "I just think what it does for everybody in life is real simple," said Babcock early on Friday afternoon. "You dont give in. You just keep on keeping on. Is it going to go your way every time? No. But you choose your attitude and how you perform and how hard you dig in." Nearly four years to the day of the 2010 gold medal match in Vancouver, his team dug in with its best effort of these Olympics, snuffing out the high-powered Americans for another opportunity at gold.ROME - Former figure skating world champion Carolina Kostner claimed she had nothing to do with doping by her former boyfriend and Olympic race walking gold medallist Alex Schwazer during an exhausting four-hour hearing Friday.Having failed to show up last week before the Italian Olympic Committees anti-doping prosecutor, Kostner was finally asked about reports that she told judicial officials that she helped Schwazer evade a test and knew he used a banned altitude machine.Carolina cleared up all the doubts there were to clear up and I think the anti-doping prosecutor was very satisfied on all accounts, said Giovanni Fontana, Kostners lawyer. She didnt cover up anything for anyone. Carolina is extraneous from the entire case.Kostner, who was also accompanied by another lawyer and her manager to the hearing inside the Stadio Olimpico offices, exited by a backdoor and did not speak with reporters.Shes used to a completely different type of attention and thats why we thought that after four hours she should rest up a bit, Fontana said.Schwazer, who won the 50-kilometre walk at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, was excluded from the 2012 London Olympics after testing positive for EPO before the games.Prosecutors believe coaches and doctors knew that Schwazer was doping long before he tested positive, possibly dating to Beijing. He was banned by CONI for 3 1/2 years in April 2013.Kostner risks a ban of up to four years from all sports activities in Italy and abroad for aiding and failing to report Schwazers doping. A ban would also prevent her from appearing in non-competitive events or shows worldwide that are supported by the International Skating Union, CONI said.Kostner, the 2014 Olympic bronze medallist and 2012 world champion, is taking this year off from competition.The 27-year-old Kostner has also won two silvers and three bronzes at the worlds, and is a five-time European champion. It remains unclear if she could be banned retroactively and be stripped of medals.Kostner has absolutely nothing to do with doping, Fontana said. Its not like she won her medals beecause she told the anti-doping inspectors that Schwazer was not home that day.ddddddddddddSchwazer failed an out-of-competition test before arriving in London and was removed from Italys team before competing. He admitted using the blood-boosting hormone EPO, and said he was quitting the sport.Schwazer also admitted to consulting with Lance Armstrongs banned sport doctor, Michele Ferrari.Kostner has acknowledged accompanying Schwazer for a visit to Ferraris mobile office in 2010, although she maintains that she did not know he doped.That was an entirely sporadic instance, Fontana said. She saw him only once and she didnt even know his name was Dr. Michele Ferrari. She thought he was a physical trainer because they talked about training data and stuff like that.However, recently published reports of Kostners testimony to Bolzano prosecutors showed she allegedly admitted to lying to inspectors from the World Anti-Doping Agency who came to her home in Germany looking for Schwazer on July 29, 2012 — days before Schwazer flew to London for the Olympics.Fontana said Kostner told inspectors Schwazer wasnt home to respect his privacy, because on his WADA whereabouts form for that day he had listed that he would available in Italy at a different time.Ultimately, the WADA inspectors caught up with Schwazer and thats when he tested positive.There cant be any rules violation because he was found, tested and resulted positive, Fontana said.Kostner also allegedly told the prosecutors about the altitude chamber, adding that the noise it produced at night prompted her to sleep with ear plugs.While altitude simulation chambers are not banned by WADA, they are illegal in Italy.But Fontana said Schwazer used the machine in Germany and that it also helped with breathing problems such as asthma.After reviewing Kostners testimony and perhaps more hearings with others, CONI prosecutors Tammaro Maiello and Mario Vigna will recommend a sentence. Then the case will be decided by CONIs internal doping court.___Andrew Dampf can be followed at www.twitter.com/asdampf ' ' '