"It's a great feeling to finally win one," Dufner said. "I can't believe this is happening to me. It feels really, really good. It's amazing to me this actually happened to me."
Dufner, who matched the 18-hole record low in any major with a 63 in the second round, went 26 holes without a bogey until the last two holes and by then it was too late to deny him the victory.
"The last two holes were unforgettable," Dufner said. "I wish I could have closed it out with no bogeys but I was glad to get the job done."
Among the first to congratulate Dufner was Keegan Bradley, the US rival who beat him in a playoff for the 2011 PGA Championship crown.
Jason Dufner poses with the Wanamaker trophy
PHOTO: Jason Dufner poses with the Wanamaker trophy after winning the 95th PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York. (AFP: Andrew Redington)
"He just said, 'I'm proud of you,' and I said, 'Thanks a lot. It means a lot for you to be here'," Dufner said.
Furyk, the 2003 US Open champion, finished second on 272 after shooting 71 in the final round, also making bogeys on the last two holes, which played the hardest of any this week at Oak Hill.
"I needed to keep the pedal down and make pars there and keep the pressure on him and I just didn't do it," said Furyk.
"If I could go back I would have to try and make par at 17 and 18 and try and put some heat on him."
Furyk, who has not won any title since the 2010 US PGA Tour Championship, began the day with a one-stroke lead but failed to win just as he did four times when leading after 54 holes last year, including at the US Open.
Sweden's Henrik Stenson was third on 273 with countryman Jonas Blixt fourth on 274 after each shot 70 in the final round. American Scott Piercy and Masters champion Adam Scott shared fifth on 275.
Scott's says the future looks bright
Queenslander Adam Scott has enjoyed top-five finishes in three of the year's four major championships, including his breakthrough Masters win in April, but he feels his best is yet to come.
After becoming the first Australian to triumph at Augusta National, Scott went on to finish in a tie for third at last month's British Open at Muirfield and on Sunday earned a share of fifth at the PGA Championship.
"Obviously I'm peaking at the right times," Scott, who ended the year's final major five shots behind winner Jason Dufner, told reporters.
"It's hard to stay there for four days and have the lead the whole time, but I feel like I'm improving still. So it's something to build on for next year's season."
Jason Day shot a final round three-under 67 which included a run of seven birdies in ten holes.
Day finished two shots behind Scott, tied for eighth place with 2012 PGA champion Rory McIlroy, who shot an even 70 including an ugly triple bogey on the fifth.
Marc Leishman closed with a two-under 68 to grab a share of 12th.
Not including the Americans, no other country was as well represented among the top-12 finishers at the PGA Championship as Australia, which to Scott is a sign of things to come.
"We've got a whole host of guys with the experience. It's just a matter of form," said Scott. "We have got the guys with the talent. That never goes away; it's just their form.
"When that comes back, we're going to be really strong. It wouldn't surprise me, you know, seeing Jason or myself or Leish do well to get right back in the mix."
Adam Scott at the PGA Championship
PHOTO: Major player ... Adam Scott finished first, third and fifth at three of the four majors in 2013. (Streeter Lecka, Getty Images)
Scott, who led the British Open by one shot with seven holes to play, had a fighting chance of winning at Oak Hill, or at least forcing a playoff, though he needed to navigate the East Course's challenging closing holes better with the leaders faltering.
Two-under for the day when he arrived at the 16th tee, Scott was unable to find a fairway or hit a green in regulation the rest of the way.
He would go on to make bogeys at 16 and 18 which left him with no chance of catching Dufner, who was playing in the final group and went on to finish at 10-under.
"It was a bit of fun, the last glimmer of hope, you know. But then I had three poor drives to finish with," said Scott.
"I don't know what happened the last few holes, but I felt like I may as well have a go at it down 16.
"If I drive it in the fairway, it's just a wedge. If I could birdie them all, I would have finished 10-under and you never know."
没有评论:
发表评论