Zurich Classic 2012: Jason Dufner Edges Ernie Els In Playoff

Winning your first PGA tournament may or may not be a life-changing event, but it’s certainly a life-changing amount of money.

Jason Dufner, a 35-year old golfer who turned pro out of Auburn in the year 2000, shot up 30 places on the PGA Tour’s 2012 money list with his sudden death victory over Ernie Els in the Zurich Classic on Sunday.

It’s a good time to be Jason Dufner: next week, he’s getting married. But today he earned his first win in a PGA Tour event, winning the Zurich Classic in New Orleans by beating Ernie Els in a two-hole playoff.

Els and Dufner were tied for the lead for most of the afternoon. The pair both performed well early in the day, but sank into a rhythm of par-after-par -- each parring their last seven holes -- to remain three clear of the field. Els had a chance for birdie on 18, but his putt came to a stop just an inch short of the cup, sending him into the clubhouse at 5-under for the day. Dufner then had a putt for birdie and the win, but missed just to the right and ended up tapping in for par. In the first hole of the playoff, Dufner was on the green in two, but the Auburn grad three-putted, leaving Els a chance to birdie for win. Els repaid the favor from regulation and missed the putt badly. On the second playoff hole, Dufner again got on the green in two, but this time his putt left him within inches of the hole. Els tried to hit a putt from off the green and just missed, leaving Dufner a tap-in for the win.

A spectacular front nine from Ernie Els has him tied with Jason Dufner at 19-under on the tournament in New Orleans. With Els through 11 and Dufner through 10, both are three clear of a pack that includes Luke Donald.

Dufner came into the day with a lead at 17-under and was mediocre to start the day, playing par golf for five holes before bogeying on the sixth. But he turned it around with birdies on three of his next four holes. Els has been spectacular, with three birdies and an eagle to have him tied with Dufner.

Jason Dufner and Ryan Palmer will be leading the golfers looking for a win at the 2012 Zurich Classic of New Orleans on Sunday. But Dufner gets to start atop the leaderboard at the TPC of Louisiana while Palmer comes into Sunday play off Saturday’s hottest round.

Dufner sits at 17-under after 54 holes of play, having fired three rounds of 5-under 67 or better, including his third-round 67 on Saturday. Graham DeLaet is two strokes back, at 15-under, and John Rollins and Ernie Els are tied for fourth at 14-under.

The third round of the 2012 Zurich Classic isn’t quite wrapped up, but Ryan Palmer is in the clubhouse with the round of the tournament so far. After shooting an even 72 then an impressive, five-under 67 in the second round, Palmer shot a -8 to move up the leaderboard, finding himself in third place.

The leader remains Jason Dufner, who still hasn’t really broken through on the tour but has been in contention in two recent majors, including this month’s Masters. Dufner, through 11 holes, is -15 and three-under on the day, still just one shot ahead of John Rollins (-14) who has kept pace with his playing partner.

Turns out winning your first major really takes it out of you -- all that trophy lifting, green-jacket wearing, media whirlwind and, oh yeah, golf.

An emotionally spent Bubba Watson said he would be happy just to make the cut at this week’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans after the “mental grind” of more than two weeks of celebrations, a charity golf tourney, talk shows and diaper-changing following his Masters win on April 8.

The opening round of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans is just about in the books and Cameron Tringale finds himself tied for the lead in a second straight PGA Tour event.

Tringale -- or, as I like to call him, “The Triangle” -- is certainly shaping up to be a top player so far this season on the PGA Tour, having played well in his last two tournaments. Though he is currently ranked 41st in the FedEx Cup standings, Tringale remains somewhat of an unknown on tour for most fans, as he’s been since making his tour debut at the 2010 Sony Open in Hawaii.

It’s been a crazy two-plus weeks since Bubba Watson’s wild shot from the pine straw at Augusta National set up his 2012 Masters win, and the proud papa would like nothing better than to be home helping wife Angie change their new baby’s diapers.

In fact, Watson, who noted during his 2012 title run at Augusta National that he had yet to change son Caleb’s swaddle, has become an old hand at diaper duty (he’s changed five so far -- all of the “pee-pee” variety, he said, sharing just a wee bit TMI) and may be in the market for a new product endorsement.