With Webb Simpson in control of The Players on Sunday, the battle was on for second place. Simpson collected $1.98 million with his four-shot victory, but a solo second at TPC Sawgrass was still worth a staggering $1.188 million. Unfortunately for Jason Dufner, he was one of several players who missed out on a lot of dough.
Dufner moved up the leaderboard with a 4-under 32 on the front nine, and he reached 14 under par after a birdie at the par-5 11th. Not only was Dufner in great shape for second, but he also had a chance to put pressure on Simpson with a strong finish.
But Dufner’s putter didn’t cooperate over the closing stretch despite putting on a ball-striking clinic. Dufner nearly drove the green at the par-4 12th, but he missed a 5-footer for birdie. He also missed a 12-footer on 13, 19-footer on 14, and a 13-footer on 15. He reached the par-5 16th in two but proceeded to three-putt from 26 feet for par. Dufner then missed a 7-foot birdie putt on 17 and then three-putted from 17 feet on 18 for bogey to drop from T-2 to T-5.
Dufner still walked away with a hefty $418,000, but oh what could have been. The difference between a solo second and T-5? $770,000.
The reigning Memorial champ tweeted on Monday that he wasn’t losing any sleep over missing out on a share of second.
Everybody wants to talk about the 3 feet I missed on the last hole, but nobody wants to talk about the 270feet made that had put me in that position. #movingonwithlife
— Jason Dufner (@JasonDufner) May 14, 2018
Everybody also wants to talk about the money thing.. I won’t miss it, bc it was never mine... we earn our money each and every week, nothing is given to us until that final hole is completed. #momoneymoproblems
— Jason Dufner (@JasonDufner) May 14, 2018
Dufner wasn’t the only player who missed out on some serious scratch. Jason Day finished one stroke out of second after making nine straight pars on the back nine.
And then there was Jordan Spieth’s crazy finish. Spieth nearly aced No. 17 only to close with a drive in the water on 18 and a three-putt from 5 feet for a quadruple bogey. Instead of a T-17 and $148,866, Spieth’s snowman left him at T-41 and $40,700.