2012 British Open: Don't Overlook Jason Dufner

Not since Ernest Hemingway has a player had a summer like this.  

Win, got married, win, tied for second, tied for fourth.  That's almost a kick back, have a sweet iced tea and wait for the Auburn football season to start kind of summer.

As the dew was melting at Augusta, he shared the 36-hole lead.  Bubba won that week, but another guy was just getting warmed up. Then, three weeks later he won his first PGA Tour event, the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.  He beat a guy named Ernie Els.

Then, Jason Dufner married girlfriend Amanda Boyd.

Three weeks later he chalked up another PGA Tour win at the HP Byron Nelson Championship.  He sank a 25-foot putt to claim the win.  And, he had a chance to win at the Colonial.

Then, at the Olympic Club, he finished in a tie for fourth place.  Does anyone hear the footsteps of the guy that was a walk-on at Auburn?  

See a trend?

Dufner has earned his stripes.  He just swings in rhythm, has a world class teacher in Chuck Cook and doesn't get flustered.

In the last three majors, he was runner-up to Keegan Bradley at the Atlanta Athletic Club, tied for 24th at the Masters, and two strokes behind Webb Simpson in San Francisco.

Pass the fish and chips, but don't bet all your chips on Tiger Woods.