Two years after losing out in a playoff to Keegan Bradley, Jason Dufner claimed his first major championship by two shots after a sensational final round at Oak Hill.
Dufner, who started the day one shot back of 43-year-old Jim Furyk, produced the most stunning exhibition of ball striking in a final round that was quite sublimely executed. After crucial par saves early on, Dufner made birdies at the 4th, 5th and 8th to complete his front-nine in 32, before protecting that position throughout the back-nine by imperiously hitting fairways and greens ensuring that only something dramatic from Furyk, or any others in the chasing pack, would prevent him from lifting the Wanamaker Trophy.
After safely navigating his way past the treacherous par three 15th, Dufner produced a brilliant wedge shot on the 16th to within tap-in range, moments after Furyk produced a fine approach of his own. In the end, the 2003 U.S. Open champion would miss, and Dufner would take a three shot lead into the monstrous final two holes at Oak Hill.
On Friday, Dufner became the 24th player to shoot a round of 63 in a major championship, and that would prove ultimately crucial as he and Furyk both played the final 36-holes in 1-under.
On the 17th, Dufner would make his first bogey in 25 holes, with Furyk also dropping a shot on the most difficult hole on the course. On the 18th, both players played their second shots into the rough-covered bank short of the green, with Dufner pitching up below the hole giving himself three putts to win. He only required two, as he completed a final round of 68 for a 10-under total of 270, to win his first major championship and celebrated by embracing his wife Amanda just off the green.
Afterwards, Dufner said: “It's been a tough day, and a long day. It probably hasn't hit me yet. ... It's a great feeling to actually win it.”
It was as brilliantly an executed final round as you’ll ever see in the final pairing of a major championship, with his only bogeys coming on the two closing holes.
Making only two bogeys in 27 holes is how you win major championships, and it is an achievement that feels even better after coming so close in Atlanta two years ago.
“To come back from a couple of years ago in this championship when I lost to Keegan in the play-off, to win feels really, really good. The last two holes were a little unfortunate. I wish I could've closed out with no bogeys but I am happy to get the job done. It's a big step for my career.”
Dufner is certainly not among golf’s most exuberant of characters, largely keeping his emotions in check. However, afterwards you could see the emotion and the pride in his eyes as the magnitude of his achievement slowly sunk in. Like anything defining in life, it can take a period of time to truly appreciate, and a major championship is no exception.
Reflecting on his natural stoicism, the 36-year-old revealed that internally it wasn’t quite as calm and collected as his placid exterior would indicate: “I come across as a pretty cool customer, but there were some nerves there, especially when you are trying to win a major championship.”
Two years after losing at Atlanta Athletic Club, this victory culminates a remarkable 24 months for Dufner. Entering the 93rd PGA Championship winless on the PGA Tour, Dufner was a largely unheralded journeyman when he threw away a lead to up-and-coming star Keegan Bradley. Taking the positives from that narrow defeat in a playoff, Dufner would win his first two events on the Tour in 2012, before making his debut in the Ryder Cup.
It’s been a fantastic rise, but it is one that has now become meteoric as he reaches the pinnacle of the game with a major championship victory under his belt. Dufner becomes the 18th player to win one of the last 20 major championships, and the ninth player to make the PGA Championship their first victory after their 36th birthday.
Despite his lofty position in the game, Dufner has attracted many followers, particularly after the ‘Dufnering’ craze took over Twitter. In many respects, he has always been relatable to the average person looking on, and he is determined that this victory won’t change him. “It's definitely gonna change my life, but I'm determined it's not gonna change me.”
Jim Furyk finished two shots back in second, as he sought to follow Phil Mickelson’s lead and win a major at the age of 43. It’s been 27 years since 43-year-old Raymond Floyd won the U.S. Open two months after Jack Nicklaus won a sixth Green Jacket at 46, but Furyk came up that little bit short.
10 years ago, he won the U.S. Open at Olympia Fields, and he attempted to become just the third player to win a second major a decade after the first. Ultimately, despite matching Dufner for most of the round, he just wasn’t able to keep pace with his playing partner’s brilliance. Perhaps Furyk could have been more aggressive at times with his play, and that will all be considered in his analytical mind. But the classy veteran is well aware that the Dufner train would have been hard to derail regardless of what approach he took.
“I have no regrets, said Furyk, “I played my heart out. He played incredible ... a great round of golf.”
Henrik Stenson finished third at 7-under, as he continued his remarkable run of form this summer. After runner-ups at the Open Championship and WGC Bridgestone Invitational, many anticipated that the Swede would continue that form at Oak Hill, and he did not disappoint. While there will be natural regret about not winning the Championship, Stenson’s resurgence to the elite of the game is quite an astonishing tale.
After injury, illness and falling financial victim to fraudster Allen Stanford, Stenson slipped to a low of 230th in the World Rankings early last year. His rise since has been testament to his talent and character, and he will look ahead into the coming months, and next year, with increased confidence and expectations as he has now ascended inside the world’s top ten.
Jonas Blixt, who like his playing partner Stenson was attempting to become the first male Swede to win a major, finished in fourth at 6-under. An excellent performance for a player in just his second appearance at one of golf’s most prestigious four events, and he can look ahead to the remainder of the season already a winner this year at the Greenbrier Classic.
Masters champion Adam Scott finished in a tie for fifth alongside Scott Piercy, with 2001 champion David Toms rolling back the years finishing in a tie for seventh. There was also a top ten finish for defending champion Rory McIlroy, who showed tremendous resilience in the final round.
McIlroy, who has faced much criticism this season due to his disappointing form, looked back to something near his best all week at Oak Hill. Starting the day at 3-under, playing alongside Lee Westwood who would struggle to a round of 76, McIlroy would quickly move to 4-under after a birdie at the third. After missing a birdie putt on the fourth, the two-time major champion would cruelly fall victim to Oak Hill’s controversially re-designed fifth green. After playing an apparently solid approach, the ball would roll back down the shaven edge of the green into the water costing the Northern Irishman a triple bogey.
However, the 24-year-old showed terrific heart from there and finished with an even par round of 70, and a 3-under total that will give the 94th PGA champion much encouragement going forward.
But in the end, after an intriguing week at Oak Hill, it was Jason Dufner’s day. He played like a champion on Sunday, and he adds himself to the list of greats on the Wanamaker Trophy. As Dufner said himself afterwards, “my name will always be on this trophy. Nobody can take that away.” Winner a major is the ultimate achievement in the game, and there is reason why the 36-year-old can’t go on from here.
Two years after Atlanta, its sweet redemption in Rochester for Jason Dufner. He is the 95th PGA Champion.