Nobody said winning on the PGA Tour was easy, even if you’re a former major champion. Jason Dufner’s patience was tested in a weather-delayed final round, but this clutch 32-foot putt on the 72nd hole sealed the victory at this year’s Memorial at Jack’s place, Muirfield Village Golf Club. This marks his fifth PGA Tour victory.
Dufner jumped out to a five-shot lead, setting the 36-hole scoring record at -14 with two consecutive sparkling 65s, but golf happened on Saturday and he fired an uncharacteristic 77 on Saturday sending him tumbling down the leaderboard and facing a four-shot deficit.
“Yesterday was not my best day,” Dufner said of his 77. “But I had to get over it quick. It’s a 72-hole tournament, there’s a lot of things that can happen out there. I knew I was still in the mix.”
Sure enough, the 2013 PGA Champion responded nicely on Sunday going out in a pedestrian even par, then turned it on down the stretch coming home in bogey-free 32. After three birdies and a weather delay, he wedged one close on the par-4 17th for a kick-in three. The bird gave him a two-stroke lead, and some much-needed breathing room heading into the final hole.
A birdie on No. 17 gives @JasonDufner a two shot lead heading to the 18th. #QuickHits pic.twitter.com/YIuNpmKBOk
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 4, 2017
But a poor tee shot on 18 followed by another weather delay gave him something to think about. When play resumed, Dufner took two shots to get it on the green and then picked a good time to hole the longest putt of his week for the win. “I’m pumped to be in the mix again,” Dufner said. “It’s been a good year so far, but this has made it nice.”
DUFNER!!! pic.twitter.com/bY03Rt0n9J
— Skratch (@Skratch) June 5, 2017
Dufner finished at -13 with a final round 68. Rickie Fowler and Anirban Lahiri, who equaled the lowest round of the week with a 65 of his own, finished in a tie for second. Justin Thomas and Matt Kuchar finished in a tie for fourth.
Here’s a look at the final round highlights and results from the 2017 Memorial:
Next stop on the PGA Tour: FedEx St. Jude Classic at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee.
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