Jason Dufner – Player Bio

Although he narrowly missed out on a major in 2011, Jason Dufner is the form man of 2012 and will be chomping at the bit to make a mark on the 2012 Ryder Cup.

Dufner finished 2010 winless, but had the chance to rectify that early in 2011 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open when he finished tied for the lead at 18-under-par after 72 holes. But he lost another playoff, this time to Mark Wilson who made a birdie on the second extra hole.

He tied for third at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans where a final-round 66 elevated him up the leaderboard. He went to both the 2011 U.S. Open and Open Championship after withdrawals, but missed the cut in both.

At the 2011 PGA Championship in Atlanta, Dufner was in contention to win his first major and maiden PGA Tour title, when he entered the final round in the last group and tied for the lead with Brendan Steele at seven-under. Dufner completed the front nine in 33, two under par, while playing partner Steele dropped four shots early on and fell out of contention. Dufner held the lead for most of the final round and was bogey-free through 14 holes. After his nearest challenger, Keegan Bradley, made triple bogey on the 15th, Dufner had a five-stroke advantage with four holes to play.

But then disaster struck, Dufner found the water on 15 right of the green and made a bogey, but followed this with bogeys at 16 and 17. Meanwhile, Bradley scored back-to-back birdies on 16 and 17 to take the clubhouse lead at eight under, wiping out Dufner’s advantage. Dufner parred the 18th and the two American players went into a three-hole aggregate playoff.
 
On the first playoff hole, both players hit their approach shots to 16 within a few feet. Bradley made his birdie put, while Dufner missed his birdie, allowing Bradley to take a one-stroke advantage to the 17th. Both players found the green from the tee, and while Bradley two-putted for his par, Dufner knocked his first putt well past the hole, and three-putted the green to fall two strokes behind with one to play. At the last hole, Bradley’s second shot cleared the water by a few yards; Dufner then followed with a shot on the same line and made his birdie putt. Bradley only needed to two-putt for the championship, which he did. Dufner won $865,000 and rose to 38th in the Official World Golf Rankings. 
 
Dufner continued his good form in 2012 by sharing the 36-hole lead at the Masters, but faded on the weekend to finish T24. Three weeks later at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, Dufner won for the first time on the PGA Tour in his 164th start when he defeated Ernie Els on the second hole of a sudden death playoff. He entered the final round with a two stroke advantage and shot a 70 to finish at 19 under par, a tournament total record, which Els also equalled. At the first playoff hole, the 18th, Els had a chance to clinch victory with a six foot putt, but pushed it out to the right. Replaying the 18th again, Dufner found the green in two and when Els couldn’t get up and down from 100 yards short of the green, Dufner sealed the win with a two putt. Dufner moved into the world’s top 20 as a result of his first victory.
 
Three weeks later, Dufner chalked up his second victory with a win at the HP Byron Nelson Championship by one stroke over Dicky Pride, who was seeking his first win since 1994. Dufner had to sink a 25 foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole for the outright victory. The win elevated Dufner to 14th in the OWGR and first in the FedEx Cup standings. Dufner became only the second multiple winner on the PGA Tour in 2012, alongside Hunter Mahan.

In May 2012, Dufner had an opportunity to win his third PGA Tour title of the year at the Colonial, where he was leading after 36 and 54 holes respectively before being beaten by one stroke by former Masters champion Zach Johnson. The second second place finish, however, catapulted Dufner toa career high 8th place in the Official World Golf Ranking.
 
Dufner’s excellent season continued at the 2012 U.S. Open where he finished in a tie for fourth place, two strokes behind winner Webb Simpson. The 35-year-old went on to finish T31 at The Open, seventh at the WGC Bridgestone Invitational, T27 at the U.S. PGA, T7 at the Wyndham Championship and T18 at the Deutsche Bank Championship. 

All-in-all he ha had a very tidy 2012 and will be a major threat to Jose Maria Olazabal’s team.