Calmest guy on the PGA Tour looks unstoppable at Memorial
DUBLIN, Ohio — Jason Dufner is working on lowering his heart rate.
(Insert your own punch line here.)
Dufner, if you haven’t noticed, is a guy who goes about his business — on and off the golf course — so chilled out he’s in what appears as a catatonic state.
“It doesn’t look like Duf needs to stay much calmer than he normally is,’’ Adam Scott joked Friday. “We might have to check his pulse soon.’’
The way Dufner played the first two rounds of the Memorial this week at Muirfield Village Golf Club, he has a chance to put the field to sleep.
Dufner followed his opening-round 7-under 65 with a second-round 65 on Friday to get to a tournament-record 14-under through 36 holes and surge to a five-shot lead entering the weekend. Dufner’s closest pursuers are Daniel Summerhays, who is 9-under after shooting 68 on Friday, and Rickie Fowler, who is 8-under after shooting 66.
Interestingly, the key to Dufner’s success has been his putting, which always has been a weakness in his game. He has made 30-of-32 putts inside of 10 feet through two rounds.
What gives?
“I’m just focused on my breathing,’’ Dufner said.
This all started when a friend of Dufner sent him an article about a study done by a doctor who worked with Marine snipers.
“It just talked about how they really focus on their breathing,’’ Dufner said. “If you read anything about sniper shooters and when they shoot, they’re really focused on their heartbeat and breathing. Slowing my heartbeat down … that’s the obvious goal.
“I know that there’s been times with my putting that the thought process and my actions have felt like they’ve been sped up and too quick, and I’m trying to slow down and focus on that breathing,’’ Dufner added. “It’s been working. I’ve been using it all year. This is the first time I’ve said anything about it.’’
Two players to watch as possible come-from-behind candidates on the weekend are Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas, both of whom are eight shots back at 6-under after neither made a move Friday.
“Duf is obviously in full control of the ball, tee to green, and you’ve got to be making some putts, too,’’ Spieth said. “He had two fantastic days. He’s a major champion [2013 PGA Championship] and a multiple PGA Tour winner. He’s going to be a tough guy to chase down. But playing the lead on this golf course I imagine is going to be difficult.“You can shoot low numbers if you’re hitting fairways and playing to the right spots, but trouble is very close around the corner. So you just never know what’s going to happen on a course like this. It’s actually a good course to be coming from behind on. You can make up quite a bit of ground on the score.’’
Fowler, who was playing one group behind Dufner, had a front-row seat to the damage the leader been doing on Jack Nicklaus’s signature course. That was highlighted by Dufner holing out for eagle on the 18th hole, which was his ninth hole of the round on Friday.
“I’m keeping an eye on what he’s doing,’’ Fowler said. “You hear the shot that he holed on 18 from the crowd roar. [I was] really just trying to make sure I’m moving forward or not falling too far behind.’’
Fowler, who let Dufner live at his Florida home during the winter, called him “one of my favorite people out here.’’
“He’s a close friend,’’ Fowler said. “He’s one of a kind. He’s one of the best guys I know out here. People outside the ropes or people that haven’t spent a whole lot of time with him maybe don’t know him too well. Because he’s fairly quiet on the course, you don’t get to really see who he is as a person. He’s one of the funniest guys out here. But fan-wise you wouldn’t really see that, the way he carries himself is pretty chill and mellow.’’
Even when he holed out on 18, Dufner’s expression did not change. You wouldn’t have known whether he had eagled the hole or double-bogeyed it.
Knowing the adage about how difficult it is to follow up a low round with another one the next day, Dufner, who has authored two of them already, was asked what his mindset will be Saturday.
“I’m not sure,’’ he said. “I’ve never done two in a row. We’ll find out. I don’t think about it too much until you ask questions like that. [Saturday] is another day. I’m working on my breathing.’’