Did Jason Dufner choke?

[Royal]

my co-workers think so.....

My take was.....really.....he shot 69 and played even in a play-off of a major championship....

He was clearly beaten (Keegan plays 2 under on the last three holes of regulation) and maybe he closes out that deal 3 out of 5 opportunities......but I certainly wouldnt label that a choke.

with that said.....why are people so quick to label people "chokers".....

and what would you consider a "choke" or "meltdown"

[Kieran123]

Not really.

He played the last 4 holes 3 over, then 16, 17 and 18 in the playoff even ( which is very good for those holes )

15, 16, 17, and 18 are extremely tough. Shooting +3 on them isn't choking, it's just how hard they play. In the playoff he played the last 3 pretty good except for the missed putt on 16.

I wouldn't call it choking. Keegan Bradley just played them perfectly.

[djackson89]

I would disagree. He watched KB triple Bogey that hole. He had a huge opportunity in his hands, get through that hole at par and he can ride this out. But then he bogeys, then bogeys again, now it's all mental. I don't really care how hard the last 3 holes are. He had a lead and let it slip. He played them even in the playoff...no reason he coulnd't do it an hour earlier and win.

[dhanson]

Originally Posted by Kieran123

Not really.

He played the last 4 holes 3 over, then 16, 17 and 18 in the playoff even ( which is very good for those holes )

15, 16, 17, and 18 are extremely tough. Shooting +3 on them isn't choking, it's just how hard they play. In the playoff he played the last 3 pretty good except for the missed putt on 16.

I wouldn't call it choking. Keegan Bradley just played them perfectly.

then again, Dufner did play 15-18 at 3 under with no bogies the first three rounds.

[FowlPlay]

I think it was a little of both.

Dufner choked by losing that seemingly large lead, but Bradley played incredibly. How do you stop a guy on fire like that?

[Royal]

Does it matter that he has never won on the PGA Tour.....

in other words.....do players like Fowler & Dufner have a different standard in that situation....

[jamo]

I think Dufner did choke a bit, but Bradley also stole it from him a bit. If either of those hadn't happen, Dufner would have won.

[djackson89]

Quote:

Does it matter that he has never won on the PGA Tour.....

in other words.....do players like Fowler & Dufner have a different standard in that situation....

Not sure I understand what point you are trying to make...it's not choking because he hasn't won yet?

[Kieran123]

Originally Posted by djackson89

..no reason he coulnd't do it an hour earlier and win.

I could birdie a hole, then play it again immediately and I might double bogey it.

Hitting the same shots in golf over and over is impossible - that's why it's so hard.

Even for a professional

[Royal]

Originally Posted by djackson89

Quote:

Not sure I understand what point you are trying to make...it's not choking because he hasn't won yet?

just pointing out that Dufner was in unchartered waters......

[clubchamp]

Originally Posted by jamo

I think Dufner did choke a bit, but Bradley also stole it from him a bit. If either of those hadn't happen, Dufner would have won.

This

[xxsoultonesxx]

Bradley had all the momentum going his way after the 16th. Dufner would have won if he stayed dry at 15.

[newtogolf]

I'd say Dufner reacted and played how most would under the circumstances given the course difficulty.  Bradley performed beyond the level most players would in that situation.  Credit to Bradley for not giving up after the triple bogey and staying focused enough to tie for the lead.  The long putt he made was fantastic but there might have been a little bit of good fortune mixed in with his putting skill from that distance.

[ThominOH]

He chocked.. in my opinion..  His tee shot on 15 with a temporary 5 stroke lead was to do anything BUT put it in the water.. He should of used any club in his bag to take the water out of play, even going long would of been ok.. Then on 16 in the middle of the fairway at 190 out, he puts it in the sand FAR to the right away from the flag.. It was like he was scared of the pin placement.. We go to par 3 , 17 and  he then 3 putted from a distance that shouldn't of been 3 putted with a lead.. Running his first putt 12 feet past the hole was just crazy.. CHOCKED..  18 was just horrid as he played to "NOT LOSE" and went long deep into the green.. He was lucky to not 3 putt that hole and end up bogeying 4 holes in a row..

Playoff he starts off missing a simple 3 footer for birdie.. Go to the 17 and AGAIN 3 putts it putting his 1st putt 10+feet  past the hole.. HE JUST did that 30 minutes earlier.. Terrible.. To me he played those last 7 holes at 4 over par.. That is not championship play.. He chocked.. It can happen to anyone, but I wouldn't deny it tho..

[iacas]

Originally Posted by ThominOH

To me he played those last 7 holes at 4 over par.. That is not championship play.. He chocked.. It can happen to anyone, but I wouldn't deny it tho..

What's chocked?

Despite your accounting, he played them at 3 over. And his birdie putt in the playoff was six feet, not three. He played the playoff holes at E. Mini choke? Sure. But Keegan pressed the issue by making so many birdies.

[ShearBalata]

A diifferent way of looking at this, is that when the pressure became the greatest, Dufner underperformed the standard he had set.  He hit the ball better than anyone all week.  He had played the last four holes without a bogey the first three days.  I dont expect him to continue to play like that for four straight days of a major championship regardless of whether or not he is in the lead.  His ball striking definitely took a sharp turn south no matter how many waggles he wagged at address.  The contrast between how he had played and how he played on the last four holes was stark, but it doesnt have to be considered a choke.  Every player struggled on the way in, including Bradley with his triple on 15, and its not like he stuck it on 17, he canned it from the west coast on some of the toughest (and best conditioned) greens that I've seen in recent major championship history.  Choking is just a matter of persepective on where you make your mistakes.  You four putt like O'Hair did early in the round its going to cost you.  How many of us have had rounds that would have been "our best ever" if we hadn't had those terrible holes in the first 3.  I think the pressure builds, and  some players are considered clutch, but has anyone had worse luck than Dustin Johnson?  I dont believe that he is a "choker" either.

[ThominOH]

Originally Posted by iacas

What's chocked?

Despite your accounting, he played them at 3 over. And his birdie putt in the playoff was six feet, not three. He played the playoff holes at E. Mini choke? Sure. But Keegan pressed the issue by making so many birdies.

oops sorry oh mighty teacher.. I normally never proofread my post.. It wasn't the first, and it won't be the last.. LOL  As for that birdie putt.. It wasn't a hard putt at all, one that should of been made 9 out of 10 times..  "So many birdies"??  Keegan made 2, along with a TRIPLE bogey.. How is that pressing?  Did you forget Jason launched his tee shot into the water with a huge lead.. That is just simple choking and he imploded from there on..  Have a great day..

As for the accounting.. I should of put it this way.. his 4 bogeys in the last 7 holes was his undoing..  The birdie on the 3rd playoff hole was a non factor.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by ThominOH

oops sorry oh mighty teacher.. I normally never proofread my post.. It wasn't the first, and it won't be the last.. LOL  As for that birdie putt.. It wasn't a hard putt at all, one that should of been made 9 out of 10 times..  "So many birdies"??  Keegan made 2, along with a TRIPLE bogey.. How is that pressing?  Did you forget Jason launched his tee shot into the water with a huge lead.. That is just simple choking and he imploded from there on..  Have a great day..

As for the accounting.. I should of put it this way.. his 4 bogeys in the last 7 holes was his undoing..  The birdie on the 3rd playoff hole was a non factor.

You should have put it that way, yes. Also, his birdie on 18 wasn't a "non-factor." Guys have three-putted from shorter distances than Bradley's upcoming putt.

The stats disagree with you on the 9 out of 10. From six feet the PGA Tour player is only 65% to make. It wasn't three feet as you said and it was with the pressure of a major championship. It's not going to be made 9 times out of 10. 65%, sure. Maybe a bit less.

Dufner had a five-shot lead that dwindled quickly. Keegan birdied 67% of the holes he played (and nearly 100%). Two birdies over that three-hole stretch to close out regulation play is "so many birdies" in my book. When you go birdie-birdie-par over that stretch and close a five-shot lead in three holes , that's pressing .