The victory was the fourth of Dufner’s career and his first since his only Grand Slam title, in the 2013 PGA Championship at Oak Hill in Pittsford, N.Y.
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Friday, Chasson Hadley had the same shot with a much different result.
Dufner triumphed thanks to a par on the second extra hole after Lingmerth had sent his second shot into the water.
“I’m excited for this year”, Dufner said.
It was not Dufner’s best day of golf, but he felt like one of the best players in the world regardless. Lingmerth drove into the rough, then hit his approach shot into the water left of the flag, making way for Dufner’s victory.
The shot, “that low, little spinning one with some check on it”, as he put it, made a beeline for the hole, hit the pin and rolled away about a foot. The 38-year-old World No. 120 picked two birdies along with a bogey on the back-nine for a 65.
England’s Andy Sullivan, who has completed 36 holes, was the overnight leader on 10-under, with DeChambeau a stroke adrift after playing 27 holes. “You got a lot of scoring clubs in your hand on that course”.
American Jamie Lovemark, playing on the TPC Stadium Course at PGA West, fired a third consecutive 65 on his 28th birthday to grab second on 195, one stroke in front of Canada’s Adam Hadwin, who shot 64 on the Nicklaus Tournament Course. “It really wasn’t a bad swing, I don’t think”.
Dufner, the 2013 PGA Championship victor, shot two-under 70 while the hard-charging Lingmerth, carded 67 to force a play-off.
David Lingmerth (-18) – Last year’s breakout star, Lingmerth shot a 10-under 62 on Saturday to get back into contention.
Of working diligently in the off-season to improve a game that had gone flat, Dufner said, “I worked on… trying to be confident again”. He couldn’t go for the green so had to rely on his wedge play to save him. Lingmerth managed a best of the day 65 in the final round this time out and was keen to take the positives from his performance.
“When you start thinking like that, good things happen”, Dufner said. The Abbotsford, B.C., native missed a chance to get closer, bogeying the par-5 15th after hitting into the water and closing with three pars.
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Further down the leaderboard, Phil Mickelson shot a final round of 68 to finish tied in third with Andrew Loupe, while Matt Kuchar followed up his disappointing third round with a similarly underwhelming 71. Lefty will play the next three events, starting next week at Torrey Pines in his hometown of San Diego.
