March 29 2013

2:45 PM

Catch the fever: "Dufnering"

By PGA TOUR staff

Golf trends move fast, and another one has swept across social media and beyond. First there was Golf Boys' "2.Oh" music video" and then Sergio Garcia's tree shot. Now there's "Dufnering."

The new term was coined after a photo of Dufner began circulating online (above) of him visiting the Salesmanship Youth and Family Centers as the defending champion of the HP Byron Nelson Championship. Shortly after Dufner’s peers came off the golf course at the Shell Houston Open on Thursday, the photo quickly spread across Twitter.

This post from Keegan Bradley had over 1,500 retweets.

If imitation is flattery, Dufner should be feeling quite good about himself. Rory McIlroy was the first to share his imitation, which he termed #Dufnering in a Twitter hashtag. twitter.com/McIlroyRory/st…

This was quickly followed by more #Dufnering tweets from players and fans alike, with nearly 5,000 mentions on Twitter through 9:30 a.m. ET Friday morning and a place on the USA Trending Topics list.

For his part, Dufner has taken the whole thing in stride, retweeting several #Dufnering tweets from fans last night, and giving his explanation earlier today.

Submit your own to #Dufnering photo to the PGA TOUR’s Twitter photoboard through the weekend, or see the collection at twt.pl/1zj

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February 21 2013

5:06 PM

Rd. 1: Sterne def. Dufner, 1 up

MARANA, Ariz. -- South African Richard Sterne, a 14th seed, upset American Jason Dufner, a No. 3 seed, in the first round of the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship.

Sterne, advancing to the second round for the first time in three starts in this event, now faces defending champ Hunter Mahan in the Player bracket.

Sterne entered Thursday 3 up on Dufner through 10 holes. He increased his lead by winning the 11th hole when Dufner bogeyed the par-5 hole. But then Dufner got hot, reeling off four birdies in a five-hole stretch. Fortunately for Sterne, he halved two of those holes with his own birdies.

Still, when the match reached the 17th hole, Sterne was only 1 up. But Dufner found the greenside bunker with his second shot and could not take advantage of a Sterne bogey. Both players ended the match with pars.

"Match play is a strange game and it showed today," Sterne said. "I was 4 up and then suddenly I was struggling to finish the match off. That just shows you a few birdies at the right time for somebody else can put a lot of pressure on."

 

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4:00 PM

Watch: Bubba's eagle, Dufner's birdie

 

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February 1 2013

8:16 PM

Dufner's made-cuts streak ends

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. --  Jason Dufner's PGA TOUR-leading streak of consecutive cuts made came to an end on Friday at TPC Scottsdale.

Dufner, who had not missed a cut since the Sony Open in Hawaii last year, a streak of 22 straight, made three bogeys in his final seven holes on Friday, two of which came on par 5s, to fall one shot shy of playing the weekend.

Ian Poulter now has the longest streak of consecutive cuts made at 16.

Dufner, who tied for eighth at last year's Waste Management Phoenix Open and lost in a playoff in 2010, shot an even par 71 on Friday to finish 3 under for the tournament.

A total of 74 players survived the cut, including defending champion Kyle Stanley.

Among those making early exits are J.B. Holmes, a two-time champ at TPC Scottsdale; Rickie Fowler; PGA TOUR rookie Nicolas Colsaerts; former major champions Trevor Immelman, Martin Kaymer, Geoff Ogilvy and Mike Weir; and the 2010 Waste Management Phoenix Open champ Mark Wilson.

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January 20 2013

11:30 PM

Equipment notes: Westy's new driver

By Jonathan Wall, PGATOUR.COM Equipment Insider

Here are some equipment news and notes from around the golf world this weekend:

Lee Westwood tests out new Ping G25 driver

Lee Westwood may have a new driver in the bag at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, after he spent last week at Ping testing out the new G25 driver. Westwood had been playing the G10 — a model that's a couple years old — for the past couple of seasons. He concentrated on spin and trajectory during the testing session and left Ping's headquarters with two G25 drivers. 

David Toms puts Cleveland tour-only prototype irons in play at Humana Challenge
David Toms broke his own equipment on Tuesday when he tweeted out a photo of his Cleveland 588 TC irons. The tour-only prototypes, which were designed after the CG7 Tour irons Toms had been using, have a more compact head shape and less offset in the long irons than the recently released 588 TT's. Toms put the irons in play at the Humana Challenge. Cleveland is still discussing whether it will bring the 588 TC to retail in the future (Phots credit: @davidtomsgolf).

Phil Mickelson decides to go with Odyssey's Versa putter at Humana
Phil Mickelson put Odyssey's new Versa putter — #9 model (white/black/white) — in the bag at the Humana Challenge. After working with putter during the offseason, Mickelson noted that everything seemed to click with the putter when he started using it at night on the green in his backyard.

“It's the same model that I have, but it's got white, black contrast as opposed to lines," Mickelson said after Thursday's first round. "And I didn't think much of it until I was putting at night and I just started making everything in my yard. And it kind of dawned on me that I wasn't looking at the line and getting so line conscious at the ball I was more worried about kind of rolling the putt and I just knew where I was aimed instinctively from the contrast on the putter and I thought that, gosh, this might, this actually might have something to it."

Mickelson finished T-37 at 17-under.

Jason Dufner switches to Scotty Cameron GoLo putter 
Jason Dufner won two events last season on the PGA TOUR with a Scotty Cameron Circa '62 No. 6 GSS Prototype putter, but he decided to switch things up at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship. Dufner, who used the Circa '62 at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, previewed some new Cameron Tour models on the putting green in Abu Dhabi early in the week and gravitated to a center-shafted Cameron Select GoLo S5 putter.

After practicing with it, Dufner said he felt it was easier to make a consistent stroke and achieve a consistent center strike with the new putter and decided to put it in the bag. Dufner finished T-9 in Abu Dhabi.

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January 4 2013

5:07 PM

Dufner records season's first birdie


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3:35 PM

Fowler, Dufner open 2013 TOUR season

Rickie Fowler had the honor of hitting the opening tee shot of the 2013 PGA TOUR season, as he launched a drive that landed safely in the fairway at the first hole in Friday's opening round of the Hyundai Tournament of Champions (see photo above).

Playing partner Jason Dufner followed with a drive down the left side of the par-4 hole.

As the two walked down the fairway, the winds picked up and rainy conditions became worse. Winds were at more than 25 mph, with the rain blowing sideway. Both players quickly put on their rain gear.

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December 18 2012

10:30 AM

No. 12 Jason Dufner

To preview the 2013 PGA TOUR season, PGATOUR.COM is counting down the Top 100 Players to Watch in 2013. For an archive page with the top 100 players and for an explanation on how the list was compiled, click here.

MORE TOP 100: Back to No. 13 | Forward to No. 11 | Top 100 archive

2013 PREVIEW: Jason Dufner has come into his own over the last two years on TOUR -- his two-win season in 2012 proving 2011's playoff loss at the PGA Championship was no fluke. With his laid-back demeanor, Dufner isn't likely to get rattled, and more chances to win in 2013 are hardly an unrealistic expectation. He'd be an asset to the U.S. Presidents Cup team, as well.

2012 DEFINING MOMENT: Dufner's two wins came in a seminal span of three weeks. First was the playoff win over Ernie Els at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans where Dufner two-putted from 59 feet for birdie on the second extra hole. Dufner won his next tournament in regulation, making a 26-footer for birdie on the 72nd hole to edge Dicky Pride by one shot at the HP Byron Nelson Championship. Dufner, who ended the season with eight top-10s on TOUR, also went 3-1-0 in his Ryder Cup debut. –- Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM

ALBERS’ QUICK TAKE: It was hard not to be excited on the first tee at the Ryder Cup. My hands were shaking jut holding a microphone and yet Jason Dufner seemed so casual. His even keel demeanor is amazing.I thought he might have gotten tired at the end of the year but was strong at the Ryder Cup. Jason has dramatically improved his short game through practice. In 2010 he was 92nd on TOUR in scrambling. In 2012 Dufner had improved to 8th, a move of 84 places in two years because of practice. -- Fred Albers, SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio

BOLTON’S FANTASY OUTLOOK: One of my favorite fantasy values. Carries himself with exactly the kind of poise we love. Seemed unaffected by a torrid run in April and May that produced his first two PGA TOUR wins. One of the best in the world tee-to-green, which sets the stage for numerous opportunities to score. Streaky putter, but better than average more of the time. Will begin 2013 leading the PGA TOUR with 21 consecutive cuts made. Not recommended for salary gamers at $4.869 million. -- Rob Bolton, PGATOUR.COM Fantasy expert

SOCIAL MEDIA: Find him on Twitter | Facebook

2012 QUICK REVIEW

Live Report Image

Regular Season ranking
2nd

Final Playoffs ranking
14th
Best finishes 1st Zurich Classic of New Orleans
HP Byron Nelson Championship
By the Numbers
Starts: 22
Cuts made: 21
Rounds played: 82
Top-10 finishes: 8
Money List rank: 4th		 TOUR ranking
Driving distance: 64th
Driving accuracy: 21st
Greens in regulation: 8th
Strokes gained-putting: 80th
Scoring average: 4th

NOW IT’S YOUR TURN

What is your prediction for Jason Dufner in 2013? Fill out the form below and let us know

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November 19 2012

3:06 PM

Player of the Year candidate: Dufner

Breakthrough 2012

Take a look back at a year that propelled Jason Dufner into one of the best players in the world.

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November 12 2012

8:35 PM

Who’s your Player of the Year?

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – The nominees for 2012 PGA TOUR Player of the Year were released on Monday -- Jason Dufner, Rory McIlroy, Brandt Snedeker, Bubba Watson and Tiger Woods.

Players were nominated by the PGA TOUR Player Directors and members of the Player Advisory Council (PAC). The awards are determined by a member vote, with PGA TOUR members who played in at least 15 official money events in 2012 eligible to vote. The balloting process ends on Nov. 30, with the winner to be announced in early December.

A quick look at each nominee:

JASON DUFNER: Won two events (Zurich Classic of New Orleans, HP Byron Nelson Championship), posted eight top-10s, finished 14th in FedExCup and fourth on adjusted scoring average

RORY McILROY: Won four events (The Honda Classic, PGA Championship, Deutsche Bank Championship, BMW Championship), posted 10 top-10s, runner-up in FedExCup, won the Byron Nelson Award and Vardon Trophy for adjusted scoring average and Arnold Palmer Award as TOUR’s leading money winner

BRANDT SNEDEKER: Won two events (Farmers Insurance Open, TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola), posted seven top-10 finishes, won the FedExCup, finished third on official money list

BUBBA WATSON: Won one event (Masters), posted seven top-10 finishes, finished 13th in FedExCup and fifth on official money list

TIGER WOODS: Won three events (Arnold Palmer Invitational by MasterCard, the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide and the AT&T National), posted nine top-10 finishes, finished third in FedExCup and second in adjusted scoring average and second in official money list

For more information, click here | Who’s your Rookie of the Year?

Now it’s your turn: Who do you think will win this year’s Player of the Year?

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