Dufner Wins 1st Major at 2013 PGA Championship

Photo by @thomasspig_11

It will be a day that Jason Dufner will never forget. Many will remember that it was only two years ago when Dufner choked at the 2011 PGA Championship, losing his closest chance of winning a major to close friend and 2012 Ryder Cup teamate Keegan Bradley.

This time around, Dufner didn’t show a single sign of going down easy.

Dufner shot a record 63 in his second round and holding true to his “flat-line” personality, simply waved to the gallery upon completion. Jason managed to stay cool through all four rounds, coasting along each hole at Oak Hills without a misstep, as he battled the charging Jim Furyk and held off our pick Henrik Stenson.

It wasn’t until he bogeyed 18 for a two stroke win over Jim Furyk that he finally cracked a smile.  When asked about his low key emotions Dufner blamed the sport, “But those sports are a little more exciting — big plays in basketball, home runs in baseball, big plays in football. That will get you pumped up. For me, golf is a little bit more boring. I hit it in the fairway or I didn’t. Usually I’m struggling with the putter, so there’s not too much to get excited about with that.”

After sealing the win Dufner immediately squeezed his wife, and was then greeted by a hug from Keegan Bradley, the man who stripped the title away from him in 2011.

Veteran Jim Furyk hung in their all week and was a clear favorite after the first round, but he simply couldn’t catch the cruising Dufner on Sunday.

“I have a lot of respect for him and the way he played today,” Furyk said. “I don’t know if it makes anything easy, or less easy. But I don’t look at it as I lost the golf tournament. I look at it as I got beat by somebody that played better today.”

With the win, Dufner moved a timely 48 spots to 14th place on the FedExCup standings.  With the playoffs commencing at the Barclays on August 22, Dufner is now in prime position to compete and win the title.

(Cover Photo Credit)