Around Sports: Dufner outduels Lingmerth to win at La Quinta

By the time he reached the tee of the island green, par-3 17th “Alcatraz”, Dufner was tied for the lead with David Lingmerth.

Highlights from the final round of the CareerBuilder Challenge at La Quinta Country Club in California.

“I got a great break”, Dufner said. “I never feel like this has to happen or that has to happen”.

“I got off to two bad starts over the weekend”.

He hooked a chip that struck the flagstick and stopped inches away.

His 36-hole total of 15-under-par 129 put him one stroke in front of Jamie Lovemark, who carded a seven-under 65 on the Nicklaus Tournament Course for 130. Sometimes those things happen, you need those to happen to win after you hit a poor shot.

“I wanted to hit 6-iron – about 180 to the front there”, Dufner said. The other seven or eight times it probably hits the lip or goes in the water.

“For me to win this week, I felt like one of the best players in the world this week”. If he makes birdie, then he deserves to win. What I’m trying to get back is the touch, the nuances, the subtleties.

The putt that might have won it for Lingmerth on the 18th hole of regulation play.

“I remember a lot of the shots and how the course played”, Dufner said. “It’s definitely the most hard of the courses we have played here”. Then again he lapsed with bogeys on seventh and eighth, where he had a three-putt. Both players’ drives weren’t great off the tee, but Dufner was in a fairway bunker and had to lay up while Lingmerth hit on. “The grass just grabbed it a little bit which made the ball turn over”.

“A small mistake that was very costly”, Lingmerth said.

Dufner narrowly missed a 20-foot birdie putt at the last before carding a two-under 70 and Lingmerth, who won his first PGA Tour title at last year’s Memorial Tournament, carded 65.

Lahiri, who shot a bogey free 64 on first day and a 68 on second day, was 11-under through 54 holes in a tournament, which has turned out to be a birdie-fest of sorts.

Winless since the 2013 PGA Championship, Dufner was at 23-under 193. “I’m excited to accomplish one of my goals this early in the year”. You just keep playing. “I had some really good numbers with my wedges, which helps”.

Lingmerth closed with a 65 on Sunday after carding a 62 on Saturday to finish at 263.

Following his round, Mickelson joined PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem and various dignitaries in honoring wounded heroes and military families at a military appreciation ceremony on the 18th green of the TPC Stadium Course as part of the tournament’s Patriot Day.

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., finished tied for sixth at the CareerBuilder Challenge on Sunday in La Quinta, Calif.

Phil Mickelson, Kevin Na and Andrew Loupe were all tied in third, four shots adrift of the top two on 21 under. He will play in the next three straight events and will look to build on this showing.