Dufner puts it together after horrendous 77

Washington

– Jason Dufner (right) continued his assault on the weather-hit Memorial Tournament on Sunday, rebounding from a dreadful 77 to close with a four-under 68 and win the PGA Tour event by three strokes.

Dufner clinched the win by saving par on No 18 with an incredible 30-foot putt from the middle of the green.

“Those 30-footers are a little easier for me than the three-footers,” Dufner joked after his win.

Dufner’s 13-under 275 total gave him his fifth career USPGA Tour victory as he survived two rain delays on Sunday including one that lasted 77 minutes and another which hit while he was playing his final hole.

Dufner, who won the 2013 PGA Championship, shot back-to-back 65s to take a five-stroke lead into Saturday’s third round.

But a four-hole bogey stretch beginning on No.2 was all it took to derail his third round.

So he began the fourth round four shots adrift of Daniel Summerhays.

“Obviously yesterday wasn’t my best day,” Dufner said. “I was pretty disappointed, especially with how well I played the first two days.

“I had to get over it quick. I knew I was still in the mix. I just had to get myself together.

“Making the turn at even was good. Then I felt comfortable to get aggressive on the back nine.”

When he walked off 18, after draining his long putt, the first person to greet him was tournament host and 18-time major winner Jack Nicklaus.

India’s Anirban Lahiri fired a seven-under 65 to finish in a tie for second with American Rickie Fowler, who shot 70.

Justin Thomas (72), and Matt Kucher (73) tied for fourth at nine-under 279, four shots adrift of Dufner.

Kyle Stanley (68), James Hahn (69), Bubba Watson (73) and Kevin Kisner (71), were at eight under, and Graham DeLaet (68), Jamie Lovemark (73) and Summerhays (78) tied for 10th at seven under.

Lahiri, of Bangalore, made a Sunday charge, beginning the day 10 shots behind leader Summerhays.

Eighteen holes later, Lahiri was 10 under after a bogey-free 65.

He waited in the clubhouse for more than four hours, until Dufner’s decisive 18th-hole putt, in case he was needed for a play-off. –