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Jason Dufner Has A Solid Day, in the Top 5 in Houston

By Christian Paszko

SOUTHAMPTON, BERMUDA - OCTOBER 28: Jason Dufner of the United States waits to tee off on the first hole during round one of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course on October 28, 2021 in Southampton, Bermuda. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)
SOUTHAMPTON, BERMUDA - OCTOBER 28: Jason Dufner of the United States waits to tee off on the first hole during round one of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course on October 28, 2021 in Southampton, Bermuda. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images) /
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Jason Dufner is a name that I haven’t heard or thought about in a very long time. With golf being the fickle mistress that it is, sometimes guys you almost forgot existed spring up out of nowhere and appear on a leaderboard, Dufner is that guy on this occasion.

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Dufner enjoyed a relatively quiet day at the Hewlett Packard Enterprise Houston Open. He ended up going four under, with an early birdie on the 2nd, and then three more on the 11th, 13th, and 17. He put together a bogey free round to give him sole possession of 5th place. That is unofficial because the first round was suspended due to darkness.

Seeing Jason Dufner in the top 5 is a bit of a blast from the past. If you remember, he had a stretch where he was one of the best players in the world. He finished in the top 5 in majors five times between 2010 and 2013. Highlighted by his PGA Championship win in 2013 at Oak Hill.

If you’re reading this and asking why you haven’t seen him contending lately, it’s because he hasn’t. Dufner missed 14 cuts in 29 events played last season. The last time he had a top ten finish, you have to go back to the Memorial on June 2nd. Of 2019. It’s been two and a half years since he last had a top ten, for some reason that’s crazy to me.

I always loved watching Dufner play because he always has the same demeanor when he’s playing, no matter what happens or how he plays. The look on his face never changes and he hits his ball when he’s good and ready. He doesn’t have a set routine that he goes through, he plays when he feels like it.

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I’m all for showing emotion on the course, show me you’re a human being and not a robot. But Dufner’s lack of emotion was, in a way, a welcome juxtaposition.

He’s got three more rounds to go, and a lot can go wrong in that time, but Jason Dufner has to be happy with where he is through 18 holes. It’s a place that the 44 year-old from Cleveland hasn’t been a whole lot in the last few years. I always like to see past major winners do well. Hopefully Dufner can put in a good week in Houston.

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