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A19
SPORTS Friday 2 June 2017

Jason Dufner

Continued on page 17

“But I’m looking for more
than that this week. Hope-
fully, we can keep it going
for four.”
Dustin Johnson and Jason
Day want to make sure
they get to play for rounds.
Johnson three-putted af-
ter putting his tee shot into
the water on the par-3 16th
and made triple bogey. He
three-putted from 4 feet
on the sixth hole and made
double bogey. And he
didn’t make a single birdie
in his round of 78.
It was the first time in near-
ly four years — since the
Bridgestone Invitational in
2013 — that Johnson failed
to make a birdie.
Day, who has yet to crack
the top 25 at the club
where he holds a mem-
bership, made bogeys on
both par 5s on the back
nine and was headed for
a big score until he birdied
his last two holes for a 75.
Dufner nearly hitting every
green in regulation is not
surprising with his efficient Jason Dufner chips to the 15th green during the first round of the Memorial golf tournament, Thursday, June 1, 2017, in Dublin, Ohio.
swing. He recalls hitting 17 Associated Press
in a row in a round at Muir-
field Village a few years A bad day of breathing turn in 31, and then he hit Thomas and Lucas Glover and at his hometown event
ago until the 18th hole, is short and quick. He pre- a 3-wood to 6 feet on the were at 67. in the AT&T Byron Nelson,
and it got him again Thurs- fers a slow, rhythmic breath par-5 15th for an eagle. He Phil Mickelson, playing the and he was on the verge of
day. He even went for a and a process of counting had only two pars on the second of four straight going home early at Colo-
slightly longer club, a 7-iron to two on the exhale and back nine. weeks through the U.S. nial until turning it around.
instead of an 8-iron, but the pulling the trigger. He said “Obviously, having won Open, had a relatively He wound up finishing one
contact wasn’t pure and it was similar to snipers who here it brings back good calm day in his round of 70. back of Kevin Kisner, and
he came up short in a bun- focus mainly on the heart- memories,” Lingmerth said. Rickie Fowler had anything Spieth brought his form to
ker. He blasted out 12 feet beat and breathing. “And the other years I’ve but a calm day. He was 3 Ohio.
by the hole and missed his “It’s been working,” he played here, I’ve always over through four holes, He needed a little help
par putt. said. “It’s been working loved it. I haven’t really answered with four bird- along the way, mostly the
Calm as ever, Dufner was all year. Some days I do it contended all the way until ies over his next five holes, pin getting in the way of a
mostly pleased with taking better than others. Today, I Sunday those other years, then traded birdies and bo- tough bunker shot on the
the stress out of his putting was really focused on it.” but I’ve always felt good geys on the back nine until par-3 12th. It dropped for a
by not having any tough Lingmerth, a playoff win- about this place. I feel con- finishing with one last birdie birdie. He ended his back
par putts. He attributes ner over Justin Rose in 2015, fident out here. I roll the ball for a round of 70 that fea- nine with a pair of bogeys,
that to hard work, which got his name on the board really well on the greens.” tured just six pars. then finished in style with
is mainly working on his quickly with four straight Daniel Summerhays joined Spieth missed the cut at four birdies over his last five
breathing. birdies on the front nine to Spieth at 66, while Justin The Players Championship holes.q