Golf:Jason Dufner gave himself a well-timed early wedding gift by clinching his first PGA Tour title in a play-off with Ernie Els at the New Orleans Classic in Avondale. Just six days before his marriage to girlfriend Amanda Boyd, Dufner ended a winless run of 163 starts on the US circuit by beating Els with a two-putt birdie on the second extra hole.
"It's a great way to start the week for Amanda and me," the 35-year-old said after sealing victory with a one-footer on the 18th green at the TPC Louisiana. "It's a great wedding present for both of us, helps with paying for the wedding, obviously. They're a little bit more expensive than I thought or had imagined," he added with a grin.
Dufner, who twice lost out in play-offs on the PGA Tour last season, was delighted to fend off Els after they had finished the regulation holes deadlocked at 19-under-par 269."It's always really tough playing on Sundays, whether you're in the lead or the middle of the pack," said the laid-back American."Today I was fighting, trying to win an event and I think I showed myself a good bit out there. It was tough.
"Obviously I haven't had a great history in playoffs last year and it kind of goes through your mind: 'I'm in another play-off, am I going to be able to get this done?'"
Asked to put into words what his breakthrough victory meant to him, Dufner replied: "Your mind is in a lot of different places right now when you win your first Tour event. It's hard for me to get a handle on all of it. I'm really, really excited and to get the monkey off my back is a great feeling."
Dufner became the third first-time winner on the PGA Tour this season, following Kyle Stanley at the Phoenix Open and John Huh at the Mayakoba Golf Classic.He was quite certain, though, that the pressure of that one-foot putt on the second extra hole had made him more nervous than he was likely to feel when taking his wedding vows on Saturday.
"Amanda and I have been living together for about three years now, we're pretty comfortable with each other," Dufner said."There's not too many surprises going on with our relationship. I'm very lucky to have her. She's very supportive and been 100 percent behind me from day one with this golf thing."So, you know, I don't have many questions or doubts about that part of my life. That's for sure. One-foot putts, sometimes," Dufner added with a broad grin.
