FROM THE FRINGE: Dufner wins PGA Championship

By Chad Hoyle (@chadillacgrilz)

not so sad anymore

In a relatively uneventful tournament, Jason Dufner coasted to a two shot victory over Jim Furyk in the final round of the PGA Championship at Oak Hill. Dufner, still reeling from an epic collapse at the same event in 2011, rode the momentum of shooting a 63 in the second round to take home his first major tour victory. 

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Perennially low key, and at times almost lifeless, Dufner played consistently the entire tournament, and showed little emotion, even at key turning points in his play. After the 63 on Friday, Dufner left the course with little fanfare, and the response after winning the event mirrored that low level of excitement.  “For me, golf is a little bit more boring” said Dufner. “Usually I’m struggling with the putter, so there’s not too much excitement about with that.” Luckily, his sharp short game kept him from relying too heavily on the putter.

Jim Furyk was nipping at Dufner’s heels for most of the weekend, and even led the tournament for 54 holes, but couldn’t seem to get over that 2 stroke hump on the final day. At times he’d put himself in a position to overtake the lead in the final round, but he made bogey at critical junctures, including holes 9, 17 and 18. Despite the close competition, Dufner remained emotionless and relied on his consistent style of play to lead him to victory. “I would say I was pretty flat-lined for the day,” said Dufner after the final round.

Tiger Woods was unimpressive following his win at the Firestone, and at no point was in contention for the lead in the event. He finished the tournament tied for 40th and 14 shots away from the victor. Phil Mickelson fared much worse, making the cut after the first two rounds, but closing the weekend tied for 72nd with a +12. Both men will have to wait for next season to reclaim a major title, while only five tour events remain on the schedule this season. 

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