Dufner takes run at PGA leaderboard and history

Dufner takes run at PGA leaderboard and history

Steve Keating August 9, 2013







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Jason Dufner (L) of the U.S. shakes hands with compatriot Steve Stricker on the 18th green during the …


By Steve Keating

ROCHESTER, New York (Reuters) - Jason Dufner brightened up a dreary day with a charge up the PGA Championship leaderboard and a run at golf history, carding a seven-under 63 on Friday to match the best score for a round at a major.

Just hours after Webb Simpson thrilled the rain-soaked crowd with a 64, equaling the Oak Hill course record, Dufner went one better, becoming just the 24th player to shoot 63 at one of golf's four major events.

His bogey-free round also shot the laid-back American to the top of the leaderboard with a two round total of nine-under 131, giving him a two shot advantage over Australia's Adam Scott (68) and the American pair Matt Kuchar (66) and Jim Furyk (68).

Britain's U.S. Open champion Justin Rose (66), Swede Henrik Stenson (66) will start Saturday's third round one stoke further back at six-under.

Tiger Woods, stuck in a five-year major-victory drought, was unable to work his way up the leaderboard, scrapping to a level par 70 to sit a distant 10 back of the leader.

"It's tough when you're chasing history," Dufner told reporters. "You will be the first one to do something. I don't think I've been the first to do anything in my life.

"So it was a little nerve-wracking for a Friday. It's usually the pressure you might feel towards the end of the tournament but I got through it.

"I made a couple of pars, and I wish I had that putt on the last hole back again."

While the galleries were electrified by the 36-year-old's composed and masterful display, Dufner was typically blasé, showing not a hint of emotion when his approach at the second spun back into the cup for an eagle or when his approach to the 18th landed 12-feet from the hole.

As Dufner walked onto the green sizing up the historic putt, the crowd fell quiet, then groaned when it slowly rolled to halt short of its target.

"Obviously had a fantastic day today in a major championship, chased a little bit of history," said Dufner. "Came up a little short on that last putt but all-in-all I'm excited."


As the rain disappeared and the sun began to peak out from behind the clouds, there was more drama unfolding with the late starters attacking a defenseless East course with gusto.

With the sun-setting, K.J. Choi was poised to challenge the record, reaching six-under for the round with two holes to play but a bogey ended his run and he signed for a 65.

The early starters were greeted by dark skies and pounding rain at stately Oak Hill Country Club but the soggy conditions could not prevent some of the contenders from getting off to hot starts.

Scott, the joint overnight leader alongside Furyk, teed off on the back nine in the worst of the conditions but the Masters champion was unbothered by the downpour, picking up a birdie on his opening hole.

"It was raining pretty hard on and off and the course was playing tough," said Scott.

"So it was nice to get off to a good start while the tough conditions were out there and I managed to hang on.

"The course is obviously softening up and I'm sure some guys will take advantage of that but so far so good for two days."

The heavy favorite coming into this week after romping to a seven-stroke victory at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational on Sunday, Woods was unable to take advantage of the soft conditions.

"I made my share, I missed my share. Just the way it goes," he said. "Obviously I'm going to have to put together a really good weekend.

"I'm going to have to do my job and shoot a good round."

Defending champion Rory McIlroy (71), eager to turn his game around after a poor season by his standards, looked headed for an early exit until a late turnaround down the stretch.

The Northern Irishman's play was as gloomy as the early weather until he roared back with four birdies over his final seven holes to get back to level par 140 for the tournament and make the cut.

(Reporting by Steve Keating' Editing by Julian Linden)

Dufner fires record-tying 63 to join major club

Dufner fires record-tying 63 to join major club

Mark Lamport-Stokes August 9, 2013







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Jason Dufner of the U.S. reacts after missing his putt on the 17th green during the second round of the …


By Mark Lamport-Stokes

ROCHESTER, New York (Reuters) - American Jason Dufner came agonizingly close to shooting the first 62 at a major before settling for a record-tying 63 in Friday's second round of the PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Open.

Needing a birdie at the par-four last to etch his name into golf's history books, Dufner left his 12-foot uphill putt 18 inches short of the cup, then tapped in for par to complete a seven-under score.

Known for his unflappable and ultra-laidback persona, the 36-year-old became the 24th player to shoot a 63 at a major on a day when Oak Hill's East Course was ripe for plundering after being rain-softened during the week.

Dufner holed out with a sand wedge from the fairway to eagle the par-four second, then reeled off five birdies over the next 13 holes on the way to a two-shot lead in the year's final major, at nine-under 131.

"It was a great day for me, a good day to get out there and score," Dufner told reporters after tying the PGA Championship low for 36 holes, and improving the course record at Oak Hill by a stroke.

"Obviously the rain, the soft golf course made it scoreable but to join history, to shoot a 63 in a major, is pretty unbelievable, and to be leading the tournament is even better. Hopefully it will propel me to a great weekend."

Asked whether he had been aware of how his own round stacked up to the record books, Dufner replied: "I knew that nobody had shot 62, and the course record (of 64) I had heard on TV earlier in the week.

"So I knew where I stood and you couldn't have a better putt for a chance at history on the last hole but I just didn't quite hit it hard enough."

CHASING BIRDIE

Dufner, a double winner on the PGA Tour, was delighted with his first two shots on the final hole as he chased a sixth birdie of the day.


"I hit a great tee shot," he said. "Then I was a little bit in between clubs, in between a five and a six-iron, from 203 yards (for his approach), so I went with a six and left it in a perfect spot.

"The greens had gotten a little bit slower, obviously a little bit bumpier and I probably didn't hit the best putt, probably the worst putt I hit of the day, which is a little disappointing.

"But all in all, it's a 63, and my name is on top of the leaderboard, so that's a great position to be playing from. If I could do it over, I guess I would hit the (birdie) putt harder."

Dufner's closest bid for a major victory came in the 2011 PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club where he led by five strokes while playing the fourth-last hole before losing steam.

He ended up losing the title in a playoff with PGA Tour rookie Keegan Bradley, but believes that experience, and his two victories on the U.S. circuit last year, can only stand him in good stead at Oak Hill this week.

"Atlanta is probably the best I've ever hit it in my career for that specific week," he said.

"I played really flawless there for 68 holes or 69 holes. That's probably the best I've hit it in my career. Today, I scored better.

"I've got more experience now playing in these major championships, winning a couple of events, being close to winning some more events since Atlanta, so that will always help."

Asked whether he was as laid-back on the inside as his demeanor suggested, Dufner smiled: "I'm probably like everybody else but I can hide it a little bit better.

"Today was a little bit unusual because just of the buzz that was going on with the round that I was producing. Usually get that buzz towards the end of the championship.

"When you're chasing history, it's tough. But in my head, I was just trying to get further and further away from the field, trying to make birdies."

(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes; Editing by Frank Pingue/Greg Stutchbury)

Dufner has 36-hole lead with record round of 63

Dufner has 36-hole lead with record round of 63

PGA.COM August 9, 2013







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Jason Dufner became the 12th player to shoot 63 in the PGA Championship on Friday.(Getty Images)


By Paul Newberry, Associated Press

PITTSFORD, N.Y. -- Jason Dufner got on quite a roll after he holed out from the fairway for an eagle at the second hole.

Not that anyone could tell.

The laid-back player who gave us "Dufnering" hardly showed a lick of emotion during his relentless march toward the record book.

Then, finally, with a chance to do something that had never been done -- shoot 62 in a major championship -- the significance of the moment finally got to him.

Dufner left a 12-foot birdie putt a good 18 inches short, settling for a 7-under 63 that tied the major scoring record at the PGA Championship on Friday.

"I showed a little bit of nerves there," he conceded. "That's one where you'd like to gun it when you have a chance at history. But I was able to two-putt and share a little bit of history."

Indeed, it was quite a round.

Dufner became the 12th player to shoot 63 in the PGA Championship. Steve Stricker was the most recent to do it, in the opening round two years ago at the Atlanta Athletic Club.

Overall, it is the 26th time a player has shot 63 in a major. It has been done at all four of golf's biggest events.

"The history of the game is something dear to my heart," Dufner said. "To be part of history, to be there forever, is a neat accomplishment. I never thought a guy from Cleveland, Ohio, would be able to do the type of things I've been able to do."

He is best known -- on the course, at least -- for squandering a four-shot lead with four holes remaining at the 2011 PGA Championship. He lost to Keegan Bradley in a playoff.

Dufner gained even more fame this year when a photo emerged of him slumped against a wall, his arms straight at his side, during an appearance in a school classroom. Fans took the Internet to post pictures of themselves in various states of "Dufnering."

He had plenty of momentum after the second hole, when a sand wedge from 105 yards landed above the flag and spun back into the cup. In what passes for emotion in Dufner's world, he doled out a couple of fist bumps to his playing partners.

That was it.

Dufner tacked on five birdies in his bogey-free round, which left him with a two-stroke lead as he walked to the clubhouse.

Dufner was at 9-under 131 midway through the tournament, tying the 36-hole PGA Championship scoring record held by six other players. Shingo Katayama and David Toms were the last to do it, at the 2001 PGA Championship in Atlanta.


But Dufner is hardly in the clear, not on a course that has been easy pickings for the world's best players with its rain-softened greens.

During a round that began in dreary rain and finished in bright sunshine, Webb Simpson shot 64 to tie the course scoring record that was shared by Ben Hogan and Curtis Strange. That lasted only a few hours, before Dufner came along to beat them all.

There were 60s all over the board.

Just not from Tiger Woods.

Mired in the longest major drought of his career, he plodded to a 70 that left him at 1-over 141 for the tournament, a staggering 10 strokes off the lead and facing the very real prospect of being 0 for 18 in the big events since his 2008 victory at the U.S. Open.

Others fared better.

Matt Kuchar shot 66, while 18-hole co-leaders Adam Scott and Jim Furyk both posted 68s, leaving all three tied at 7 under. U.S. Open winner Justin Rose, bouncing back from missing the cut at the Open Championship, shot 6-under 29 over his final nine holes for a 66 that left him three shots behind Dufner. Henrik Stenson also was 6 under after a 66 of his own. Robert Garrigus (68) and Steve Stricker (67) were 5 under.

Scott is a serious contender for fourth time in the last six majors.

"The platform has never been better for me to go on and win multiple majors," Scott said. "You've got to take the confidence and form of winning a major and run with it."

Last summer, he endured the bitter disappointment of losing an Open Championship that seemed all but locked up before he bogeyed the final four holes. Instead of moping about that defeat, Scott used it as a catalyst to win at Augusta National, where he defeated Angel Cabrera on the second extra hole.

Three weeks ago, Scott had another Sunday lead on the back nine of the Open Championship before fading with another run of bogeys.

"I'm playing well in the majors and giving myself a chance," Scott said. "I don't care if they call me the best player as long as I win on Sunday."

Simpson, a former U.S. Open champ, was 7 under through his first 15 holes and flirting with the major scoring mark before a bogey at the seventh -- his 16th hole of the round -- stemmed the momentum. He had one more birdie shot at the eighth, but missed a 10-footer.

"I was thinking about it coming down the last few holes," said Simpson, whose 4-under 136 total left him tied with a group that also included 2010 PGA champion Martin Kaymer.

Open Championship winner Phil Mickelson knew it was a day for going low, but his game wasn't up to the task. Lefty shot his second straight 71, leaving him 11 shots off the lead and probably too far back to contend for a second straight major title.

Defending PGA Champion Rory McIlroy was headed to the weekend after bouncing back from a tough start Friday. He played his first 10 holes at 5 over, but closed with four birdies for a 71 that left him even for the tournament -- nine shots behind.

"I've just got to try to get off to a fast start tomorrow," said McIlroy, who won last year by a record eight strokes at Kiawah Island. "I need to shoot something in the mid-60s to give myself a chance on Sunday."