PGA Championship 2013: Highlighting Best and Worst Performances at Oak Hill

The 2013 PGA Championship concluded on Sunday, with Jason Dufner taking home the Wanamaker Trophy after an elite fourth-round showing.

It’s clear that he had the best performance of anyone participating in the fourth and final major of the season, but it’s worth recapping the action to see which other golfers succeeded and which failed to meet expectations.

Let’s take a look at how Dufner captured the PGA Championship, who gave him a run for his money this weekend and who simply fell apart when it was time to shine.

 

Best: Jason Dufner

The 36-year-old from Ohio captured the first major championship of his career at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, N.Y., on Sunday.

His incredible play over the first 16 holes was absolutely astonishing and afforded him the rare ability to bogey the final two holes and still walk away victorious.

On the toughest holes, the reserved Dufner found a way to shine. He birdied No. 8 and parred No. 9, generating a lead over fellow American Jim Furyk that he would not relinquish on the back nine.

Although two bogeys on the final two holes are not the usual mark of a champion, Dufner will take it as he finally gets the major monkey off his back and joins an elite fraternity of PGA Championship winners.

Runner-Up: Jim Furyk

Furyk botched the 72-hole lead during the final round, but he was still unquestionably the second-best competitor in Rochester.

The 43-year-old has been struggling to find a way to win lately, with a crushing Ryder Cup defeat in 2012 and a heartbreaking meltdown at the U.S. Open at Olympic Club the same year.

To his credit, Furyk was arguably the closest to a major he’s ever been since his 2003 victory at the U.S. Open. Dufner just played better and made his putts when he had the opportunity.

Had he made par during the final two holes, Furyk could have forced a playoff. But with the way that No. 17 and No. 18 were playing on Sunday, that goal was obviously much easier said than done.

“The Businessman” gets a pass for his letdown, as he was one of the most consistently great golfers at Oak Hill over the four-day tourney.

 

Worst: Phil Mickelson

Lefty tied for second at the U.S. Open and won the British Open this year, leading many to believe that he would be in contention down the stretch at the PGA Championship in early August.

That clearly didn’t happen, although Mickelson made the cut and briefly tantalized fans with the possibility of a weekend run.

His so-so outing over the first two rounds quickly became an impressive display of some of the worst possible golf from a professional with five major titles under his belt.

The Arizona State product shot an atrocious 78 on Saturday and quickly followed that up with a 72 on Sunday, finishing tied for 72nd and just three spots out of last place.

Lefty never found a way to get on track and adjust to the course at Oak Hill and it ultimately cost him a chance at contending for yet another major in 2013.