2021 John Deere Classic: Jason Dufner a Surprise Contender

Jason Dufner was, at one point, one of the best golfers in the world. He’s trying to return to that form this week at the 2021 John Deere Classic.

From 2009 through 2017, Dufner was winning five times on tour, including the 2013 PGA Championship. He made the playoffs in each of those seasons and made it to East Lake for the Tour Championship six times.

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But starting in 2018, Dufner started to slide. That season, he slipped to 100th in the FedEx Cup standings. He had a second-place finish, with Pat Perez at the Zurich Classic, but that was the only notable showing.

The following season, Dufner made 25 starts on tour and had just two Top 10s. In 2020, he made 19 starts with no Top 10s.

This season has been much the same for Dufner.

He has made 25 starts this season, making the cut 14 times. However, he has no Top 10s or Top 25s. His best finish has been a T26 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

But this week has been different for Dufner, especially Friday. He shot a 3-under par 68 on Thursday, leaving him tied for 29th.

Friday, Dufner found something that worked for him. He had four birdies in six holes on his first nine, then added two birdies on his second nine. Altogether, it added up to a 6-under par round of 65, moving him into a tie for sixth place when he finished.

Prior to this week, Dufner was ranked No. 437 in the Official World Golf Rankings. He’s currently 177th in the FedEx Cup standings. If he is to make it back to the playoffs for the first time since 2018, he will need a solid showing or two down the stretch. He’s headed in that direction already this week.