JASON DUFFNER SCORES SECOND US WIN IN THREE WEEKS
FROM THE US PGA TOUR WEBSITE
IRVING, TEXAS - Jason Dufner shot a 3-under 67 on Sunday to win his second event. A month ago, Dufner was a single man still in search of his first US PGA Tour victory.
Life has certainly changed for the 35-year-old Dufner who last summer at the US PGA Championship blew a four-stroke lead with four holes to play and lost in a play-off.
With a 25-foot birdie putt on the final hole of the HP Byron Nelson Championship, Dufner, pictured below, closed out a one-stroke victory over Dicky Pride to win for the second time in three weeks.
"You probably couldn't dream it any better than what's been going on here," Dufner said. "The wedding has been in the works for close to a year, so we know that's been coming around the corner. And there's been a lot of good golf since then, but to win two events and get married in the span of 22 days, pretty remarkable."
Dufner got his first victory April 29 in New Orleans, then got married the following week.
Now he has already won again, this time making $1.17 million and taking over the top spot in the FedExCup standings.
His closing birdie wrapped up a 3-under 67 round for an 11-under 269 to avoid a playoff with Pride.
Pride, whose only US PGA Tour victory in a 20-year professional career came in 1994, was at 10 under with a par-saving 22-foot putt at No. 18 for a round of 67 after hitting his drive into the water.
Moments later, Dufner made a putt that was only a few feet longer but on virtually the same line.
"Apparently that was not a very difficult putt on 18, from the long right," Pride said chuckling.
J J Henry, who had an early hole-in-one, was in the lead at 11 under after consecutive birdies at Nos. 15 and 16, overcoming a bad tee shot on the first and a greenside bunker on the second.
Pride made a 13-foot birdie at No. 17 right before Henry, in the final group with Dufner, hit a 7-iron over the par-3 green. The former Texas Christian University star lost the lead with a double bogey after a 4-foot putt slid just outside the cup.
"To be honest, I thought I hit a good shot on 17. I thought the wind was a little into me," Henry said. "I hit the line exactly where I tried to and it just carried about 6 or 7 yards too far."
After watching Henry's meltdown, Dufner made a tap-in par at No. 17 and then hit a big drive on No. 18 in the middle of the fairway. He hit a sand wedge to the middle of the green, then avoided a playoff with the long putt to join Hunter Mahan as the only two-time winners this season.
"I knew I was tied after I hit the tee shot," Dufner said. "I knew if I made birdie that I would win, par would be a play-off, but play-offs aren't much fun. My experiences in them aren't too great."
While Dufner's win at New Orleans came in a two-hole playoff against Ernie Els, he lost twice in play-offs last season, including to Keegan Bradley in the US PGA Championship.
Joe Durant, who was the final alternate added to the Nelson field, shot a 65 to finish in a tie for third at 271 with Henry (68), Australia's Marc Leishman (66) and Swedish rookie Jonas Blixt (66).
Phil Mickelson, making his first Nelson start in five years, had four consecutive birdies on the front nine and went on to a round of 66 to finish four strokes back. He tied for seventh with Ken Duke, who also had a string of four birdies in a row in his own 66.
Pride let out a scream when his final putt dropped. Pride, who went to the University of Alabama, then watched the final group play the hole, and applauded on the clinching putt by Dufner, who went to rival Auburn.
"Everybody is making a big deal about that," Pride said of their college affiliations. "But he married a woman from Alabama to show him around."
Matt Kuchar, who started the week at No. 6 in the FedExCup standings after his win at THE PLAYERS Championship a week earlier, had 70 and finished at 276 in a tie for 15th. He was trying to become the first US PGA Tour player since Tiger Woods in 2009 to win in consecutive weeks.
Henry's ace came at the 154-yard No. 5 hole, when he hit a pitching wedge. When the ball rolled back into the cup, Henry thrust both of his arms in the air, then had an emphatic uppercut and he celebrated with the gallery.
After Henry's drive at the 504-yard 15th was way right and under a tree, he hit his approach to the middle of the green and made a 32-foot birdie putt that led to another, though more subdued fist-pump. His approach at the easier par-5 16th went in a greenside bunker, but he blasted inside 2 1/2 feet for a birdie to get to 11 under.
Dufner had consecutive bogeys at Nos. 2 and 3, but quickly responded with consecutive birdies on the following two holes.
After a bogey at No. 11 following a bad tee shot, Dufner got back to 10 under with his birdie at the par-5 16th, when he blasted out of a greenside bunker to 6 feet.
The last of Mickelson's four birdies in a row came when he holed a 30-footer at the 461-yard eighth hole. That got the FedExCup No. 4 to 6 under at about the same time Dufner and Henry were finishing at No. 1, both at 8 under.
Mickelson was 8 under after a birdie at the par-5 16th, but his 3 1/2-foot par putt at the following par 3 circled the cup and rolled back toward him for his first bogey of the day.
"I was certainly disappointed with not getting that birdie," he said. "If I could get 17 or 18, get to 9 of 10 (under), you just never know."
Divots: Vijay Singh, a 34-time US PGA Tour winner whose last victory was in 2008, was within two strokes of the lead after his third-round 66. He started Sunday with three consecutive bogeys, on way to a 71 and part of a ninth-place tie at 275. ... Keegan Bradley, nephew of LPGA great Pat Bradley and who got his first US PGA Tour victory at last year's Nelson, had a triple-bogey 7 at the 232-yard 11th hole for the second day in a row. He shot 72 for a 278 total
BYRON NELSON CHAMPIONSHIP
Irving, Texas
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 280 (4x70)
Players from US unless stated
269 Jason Duffner 67 66 69 67
270 Dicky Pride 66 68 69 67
271 Joe Durrant 70 71 65 65, Marc Leishman (Australia) 65 69 71 66, Jonas Blix (Sweden) 68 70 67 66, J J Henry 68 68 67 68
274 Ken Duke 69 67 72 66, Phil Mickelson 70 69 69 66
SELECTED TOTALS
276 Padraig Harrington (Ireland) 68 69 70 69, Matt Kuchar 68 68 72 70 (T15)
279 Greg Owen (England) 67 71 70 71 (T29)
281 Ernie Els (South Africa)70 69 70 72 (T41)
283 Brian Davis (England) 73 65 73 72 (T56).
TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES
CLICK HERE
IRVING, TEXAS - Jason Dufner shot a 3-under 67 on Sunday to win his second event. A month ago, Dufner was a single man still in search of his first US PGA Tour victory.
Life has certainly changed for the 35-year-old Dufner who last summer at the US PGA Championship blew a four-stroke lead with four holes to play and lost in a play-off.
With a 25-foot birdie putt on the final hole of the HP Byron Nelson Championship, Dufner, pictured below, closed out a one-stroke victory over Dicky Pride to win for the second time in three weeks.
Dufner got his first victory April 29 in New Orleans, then got married the following week.
Now he has already won again, this time making $1.17 million and taking over the top spot in the FedExCup standings.
His closing birdie wrapped up a 3-under 67 round for an 11-under 269 to avoid a playoff with Pride.
Pride, whose only US PGA Tour victory in a 20-year professional career came in 1994, was at 10 under with a par-saving 22-foot putt at No. 18 for a round of 67 after hitting his drive into the water.
Moments later, Dufner made a putt that was only a few feet longer but on virtually the same line.
"Apparently that was not a very difficult putt on 18, from the long right," Pride said chuckling.
J J Henry, who had an early hole-in-one, was in the lead at 11 under after consecutive birdies at Nos. 15 and 16, overcoming a bad tee shot on the first and a greenside bunker on the second.
Pride made a 13-foot birdie at No. 17 right before Henry, in the final group with Dufner, hit a 7-iron over the par-3 green. The former Texas Christian University star lost the lead with a double bogey after a 4-foot putt slid just outside the cup.
"To be honest, I thought I hit a good shot on 17. I thought the wind was a little into me," Henry said. "I hit the line exactly where I tried to and it just carried about 6 or 7 yards too far."
After watching Henry's meltdown, Dufner made a tap-in par at No. 17 and then hit a big drive on No. 18 in the middle of the fairway. He hit a sand wedge to the middle of the green, then avoided a playoff with the long putt to join Hunter Mahan as the only two-time winners this season.
"I knew I was tied after I hit the tee shot," Dufner said. "I knew if I made birdie that I would win, par would be a play-off, but play-offs aren't much fun. My experiences in them aren't too great."
While Dufner's win at New Orleans came in a two-hole playoff against Ernie Els, he lost twice in play-offs last season, including to Keegan Bradley in the US PGA Championship.
Joe Durant, who was the final alternate added to the Nelson field, shot a 65 to finish in a tie for third at 271 with Henry (68), Australia's Marc Leishman (66) and Swedish rookie Jonas Blixt (66).
Phil Mickelson, making his first Nelson start in five years, had four consecutive birdies on the front nine and went on to a round of 66 to finish four strokes back. He tied for seventh with Ken Duke, who also had a string of four birdies in a row in his own 66.
Pride let out a scream when his final putt dropped. Pride, who went to the University of Alabama, then watched the final group play the hole, and applauded on the clinching putt by Dufner, who went to rival Auburn.
"Everybody is making a big deal about that," Pride said of their college affiliations. "But he married a woman from Alabama to show him around."
Matt Kuchar, who started the week at No. 6 in the FedExCup standings after his win at THE PLAYERS Championship a week earlier, had 70 and finished at 276 in a tie for 15th. He was trying to become the first US PGA Tour player since Tiger Woods in 2009 to win in consecutive weeks.
Henry's ace came at the 154-yard No. 5 hole, when he hit a pitching wedge. When the ball rolled back into the cup, Henry thrust both of his arms in the air, then had an emphatic uppercut and he celebrated with the gallery.
After Henry's drive at the 504-yard 15th was way right and under a tree, he hit his approach to the middle of the green and made a 32-foot birdie putt that led to another, though more subdued fist-pump. His approach at the easier par-5 16th went in a greenside bunker, but he blasted inside 2 1/2 feet for a birdie to get to 11 under.
Dufner had consecutive bogeys at Nos. 2 and 3, but quickly responded with consecutive birdies on the following two holes.
After a bogey at No. 11 following a bad tee shot, Dufner got back to 10 under with his birdie at the par-5 16th, when he blasted out of a greenside bunker to 6 feet.
The last of Mickelson's four birdies in a row came when he holed a 30-footer at the 461-yard eighth hole. That got the FedExCup No. 4 to 6 under at about the same time Dufner and Henry were finishing at No. 1, both at 8 under.
Mickelson was 8 under after a birdie at the par-5 16th, but his 3 1/2-foot par putt at the following par 3 circled the cup and rolled back toward him for his first bogey of the day.
"I was certainly disappointed with not getting that birdie," he said. "If I could get 17 or 18, get to 9 of 10 (under), you just never know."
Divots: Vijay Singh, a 34-time US PGA Tour winner whose last victory was in 2008, was within two strokes of the lead after his third-round 66. He started Sunday with three consecutive bogeys, on way to a 71 and part of a ninth-place tie at 275. ... Keegan Bradley, nephew of LPGA great Pat Bradley and who got his first US PGA Tour victory at last year's Nelson, had a triple-bogey 7 at the 232-yard 11th hole for the second day in a row. He shot 72 for a 278 total
BYRON NELSON CHAMPIONSHIP
Irving, Texas
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 280 (4x70)
Players from US unless stated
269 Jason Duffner 67 66 69 67
270 Dicky Pride 66 68 69 67
271 Joe Durrant 70 71 65 65, Marc Leishman (Australia) 65 69 71 66, Jonas Blix (Sweden) 68 70 67 66, J J Henry 68 68 67 68
274 Ken Duke 69 67 72 66, Phil Mickelson 70 69 69 66
SELECTED TOTALS
276 Padraig Harrington (Ireland) 68 69 70 69, Matt Kuchar 68 68 72 70 (T15)
279 Greg Owen (England) 67 71 70 71 (T29)
281 Ernie Els (South Africa)70 69 70 72 (T41)
283 Brian Davis (England) 73 65 73 72 (T56).
TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES
CLICK HERE
Labels: US PGA TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Monday, May 21, 2012
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