The PGA Championship: Day 4
August 14 2011
9:25 pm Dufner won’t let loss be defining moment in career
By Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — With four holes to play, Jason Dufner led by four and appeared to be on his way to winning his first major championship. Then he was swallowed up like so many others before him by the finishing holes at Atlanta Athletic Club.
“Maybe looking back 10, 15 years from now I’ll feel disappointment that I let one get away if I never get another chance,” Dufner said. “But I’ve got a feeling that I’m going to have some chances to win some majors and some other golf tournaments.”
Dufner’s downfall began on the 259-yard par-3 15th, where he was caught between a 3-iron and a 5-wood. Dufner opted for the latter, took a little off and pushed the shot to the right — and into the water.
He made bogey but the real killer was the 16th, where he was in the middle of the fairway on the par-4 and missed the green. Dufner wasn’t able to get up-and-down and made another bogey before making a third in a row with a three-putt on the 17th.
“I should hit that green,” Dufner said of the 16th. “Probably one of the worst iron shots I hit all week.”
Dufner hit one of his best irons of the week on the first hole of the three-hole aggregate playoff, also the 16th, with his approach shot nearly going in the hole. Instead, it rolled past the cup and left him with a slippery, downhill 6-footer for birdie.
As good as the shot was, though, Bradley’s was better and that put a little extra pressure on Dufner, who missed the putt. He never recovered, making bogey on the next hole before making a lengthy par putt on the 18th hole.
Still, despite leaving Atlanta Athletic Club without the Wanamaker Trophy Dufner remained upbeat.
“Coming from where I came from, to be in this position, it’s a dream come true,” Dufner said. "I could have never imagined playing in major championships. I’m not going to let this define my career.”
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He made a lengthy BIRDIE putt on 18 in the playoff.
jason- just wanted to let you know that I was rooting for you all the way… you hit the ball great all day… tough finishing holes… and the iron shot you hit on the first playoff hole nearly went in… keep your head up… keep doing what you are doing… you WILL have alot of opportunities in the future. Great playing !!!!
Jason, you’re a winner in my mind!!!
Nice win Keegan. Great to see new faces winning major championships.
the writer should be kicked to the curb….lengthy par putt??? it was one heck of a birdie on the toughest par four of the four majors this year. get it right wacker or whatever your name is!
Jason: I was rooting for you all day long. Put this behind you as you will win a PGA tournament before this year is over. I felt Bradley was not too gracious in his win. Hang in there Bud!!
Jason, all in all you played really well this week. Congratulations! Next time you get into this position again (leading a golf tournament) I am sure you will handle it better. The experience that you went through this Sunday afternoon will serve you well in future.
Every professional golfer should take note as to how Jason Dufner plays the game and especially how he responded to the media after the tournament. His responses to all the media’s questions were so positive and not expected! It is very easy to pull for a guy like Jason!
Jason, you really impressed me the whole week. I love waggles and the ease with which you hit the ball. As I watched you play, I saw a resemblance to Raymond Floyd, a great champion. Keep playing well. You are fun to watch.
Jason-
I live in Las Vegas and had you at 350-1 odds to win 6 figures.
Just kidding. You played great and were extremely gracious in defeat. Keep your head up, nice job.
keep your chin up Jason- even when beaten you never lost the plot even though it must have been disappointing to the max- your day will come – good on you
WELL DONE MATE , i spend a lot of time watching and studying golf and i have put my money on you quit a few times [ but not recently ] at big odds . i must admit i gave you little to know chance even into last round . HOLD YOUR HEAD UP YOU DONE EXTREMELY WELL TO-DAY. this tournament can make or break you ,its your choice .
Great to see Keegan win and sad for Jason however we have alot of new talent without the overrated Tiger. Freddie has a problem with Tiger – pick him on form – I doubt it. Gothe young guns
To the writer – how can you possibly get a detail like his score wrong? It was actually a rather big putt for him to at least put a little pressure on Bradley to have to two putt. Everyone else – Jason and Keegan will not be reading this very poorly written article. They will be – a) celebrating like crazy while having a 3-way with a big silver trophy and some hot southern belle, or – b) wallowing but taking solace in $700 grand and a 3-way with a banana split and a cinnamon roll.
This wont be the last of Dufner .. I look forward to seeing that unconventional pre-shot routine more and more on Sundays…
Great playing this week, Jason!
I was really pulling for you Jason. I love the way you hold your follow thru. The last two tournaments have been won by a long putter, which I think show be outlawed. I will not pull for anyone with one. If Keegan had to hit the clubs you had to hit and a regular putter he would not have won. I will be pulling for you, Jason, in the future.
Hi Brian, Dufner’s putt on the final hole of the three-hole aggregate was a BIRDIE, not a par, putt, which he made–and the birdie forced Bradley to two-put for the win.
Great job out there, Jason. And I mean how you handled the media as much as for your superb golf all week. It’s fun to pull for saomeone you met when they were on another tour, and I am sure you will get that elusive first win soon.
Keep your chin up – nothing to be ashamed about at all.
Jason,.
Great showing. Tough, but don’t let it get to you, hang in there other victories will happen.
Keep your head up, Jason! It’s not a matter of if you’ll win a tournament, but when.
4 up with 4 to play, what a choke!!!!!
Great job Jason. I’m from Argentina and was pulling for you the whole day. Take advantage of this experience, I am sure you will have wins in the PGA tour soon and other chances to win a Major. More than your excellent performance during the entire championship, your positive attitude with the media after having lost is an example. I look forward to see you in the top page of the upcoming tournements. Good luck.
Great play this week Jason. Every time I looked at the screen, it seemed like you were in the fairway, on the green, and were inside 20 feet for birdie. A little disappointing, yes, to come up *this* short, but you will have your chances. I was impressed by your play and your attitude.
I cannot count.
Jason:
You played exceptional golf and you will have your time in the sun! You are a true competitor and that was refreshing to see.
Best of luck to you!
i watched all day, i was more nervous than jason. $865.000 might ease the pain a little, jason is my new favorite player
Hey Jason thanks for a great performance , your time will come. The southern influence shines throuh always.
Great to see two American battling it out with some good golf. We sure aren’t getting that from the “name” players.
I have to say I was rooting for Jason after watching for a while on Saturday and Sunday. He plays the game it should be played – with dignity, respect for his opponents, and respect for the game. (Maybe it’s because he doesn’t hit it a mile and I can relate to him a little bit.) Anyway – he’s my new favorite as well.
to jason dufner,congratulations from a frecnman who appreciated your game,your attitude,and who felet as disappointed as you could be.You been waiting too long on thr 15th tee ,that’s why you missed the green.I agree with the fact that long putters should not be allowed.In fact as a golf lover i’m not scared to tell you that i love you because you showed that normal people could play a great golf ,with a beautiful clean touch with your irons,a strong drive ,and obviously not using special substance to improve your agressivity like some players seem to use.You’re a nice man and ithank you for those wonderful 4 days.
Unfortunately Jason you came ap a little short.
It just goes to show that every tournament is
played over 72 holes. You played a great major
with nothing to show for it.
It is like everything to do with all sports. You
win some / you lose some, but overall it is only a game.
Best of luck Jason for the remainder of your
golfing career.
Jason,
In 2009 my son and I saw you at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, NC. You walked off the 3rd green, spotted my son and offered him your ball in which you just knocked down a birdie putt with. Ever since, we have been following you with each and every tournament you entered. My son is only 7 years old and each week he always asks me, “Is Jason playing this week?”.
It’s exciting to have someone to root for who we know is a genuinely nice person and we were so excited to see how well you have done this year including Phoenix and the position you were in this past weekend. I don’t know how you handled the pressure and the moment because the both of us were so nervous we almost couldn’t watch. The class and dignity in which you showed following the final round and playoff is something to be proud of and more athletes need to look towards your actions and words as how to handle themselves in these situations.
My son and I look forward to watching you week in and week out for the rest of the year and years to come. Good things will come your way, there’s no doubt. Keep your head held high, keep working hard and know that you have a lot of fans rooting for you.
Jason definitely played the most consistent, steady golf on Saturday and Sunday. I thought he deserved to win (not that Keegan didn’t). Great bogey save on 15. The second on 16 was really his only bad shot over the final 4 holes (15 is brutal, almost unfair, really, no shame in a bogey). Got a little shafted on 17 when the wind gust knocked down his tee shot, som instead of 20 feet, he had 40. And, how many times is anyone gonna make the putt Keegan made on 17?! Absolutely did not choke. No choker is going to make a par on 18, thee toughest par 4 on the planet, when he has to. He will win, and soon.
Well, Tim, perhaps you hadn’t noticed that the “name” American players, particularly one, have held the fort for over a decade because some of the others have not come through against the Euros and Aussies. Dustin Johnson sure has not held his end of the bargain, and Stricker may be letting his opportunities slip by, especially since he is in his mid-40′s.
One cannot compare Dufner’s four-hole adventure to the Van de Velde episode at the 1999 British Open where the guy just went mindless at the 18th yet acted as if he had won when he finally made the putt to put him into the playoff with the eventual champion. How about Garcia’s short putt at the 2007 British Open and Tom Watson’s 8-footer at the 2009 British Open? Do you call those chokes? Doug Sanders had a very short putt in a major, blew it and gave it away to Jack Nicklaus. Four shot lead with four holes to play, the four most dangerous holes on the course yet to play en route to a major championship…that might choke one up but the other guy has to play them as well. I don’t know about you but Dufner looked too stiff and emotionless coming down to those holes to get a good feeling about his chances. I would rather see the guy huff and puff a little bit and cool down at that point. He still looked in disbelief even during the interview.
Thank goodness Dirtball Dufner didn’t win. He makes John Daly look like a cover guy for GQ. Wouldn’t be good for golf. Out of shape, bad clothes, bad hair, short hitter, no chin, and extremely boring. Glad to see Keegan “Doogie Howser’ Bradley win it.
Jason,
I was extremely proud of your play on Sunday. You should take great pride in how you did not give up after being down 2 shots in the playoff, then making a birdie on the 18th, the hardest whole on the course! This was after making par on that same hole after previous 3 holes in regulation.
This Mississippi boy was pulling hard for you as were millions of others. Your day will come when you can hoist a major trophy!
Wouldn’t say he choked, apart from the 17th green. You cannot three putt there, from then on the momentum was with Bradley.
Very difficult to win in your first time in the lead as Johnson, Watney, McIlroy etc have shown. The key thing is that like McIlroy can he turn it around in the next few and learn from his mistakes the last time. That’ll define his career.
Jason,
You played very well–I was sorry you lost–Just think how many of the World’s “Best” golfers you beat! You can be proud of yourself. Good luck.
Nice going Jason. You played very well and it could just as easily have been you winning it, but those last playoff holes certainly made it a coin toss. You’ve acquired a huge following now and as one of those I will be watching upcoming tournaments to see your big win. All the best.
really wanted jason to win. nice to see a guy sink a birdie putt and not fist pump into the camera and jump around like he just cured cancer. very classy guy.
Considering Jason played so well on an extremely difficult layout that sent quite a few ex-Major winners home early AND that he beat all the best players in the world except one, I’d say there are a few positives to take away from this. It’s only the media that wants to make this out as some kind of boo-hoo loss and a major choke….Do we constantly harp on Lee Westwood for choking in Majors? I’d say quite the opposite….
Hi Chris,I was looking at my cmneomts area and I see your comment, but not my reply to it on . Did you receive my reply? I redid my email address from the default one which caused the problem in the first place, and I see it went back to default. I’m not sure what is going on, but I do apologize. You seem like a nice person and I’d like to correspond with you, so I hope we can get this cleared up. Thanks,Jan