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Dufner wins, Leishman 3rd in Texas golf

3 minute read

Jason Dufner has sunk a long birdie putt on the last hole to win the Byron Nelson golf championship, with Australian Marc Leishman in a tie for third.

Marc Leishman did his best to end Australia's 2012 season US PGA Tour victory drought as he surged to a tie for third place in the Byron Nelson Championship.

A bogey on the final hole proved very costly as Leishman contended strongly and fired a four-under 66 to finish two shots behind winner Jason Dufner.

Dufner (67) sank a 25-foot birdie putt on the last hole to win his second title of the year only three weeks after ending a 163-event victory drought.

Dufner's 11-under 269 total edged out fellow American Dicky Pride (67) by one stroke.

Leishman was part of a six-way shootout down the stretch before finishing tied with Sweden's Jonas Blixt (66) and Americans Joe Durant (65) and JJ Henry (68).

Countryman Jason Day looked a better chance to repeat his 2009 victory in the event at the start of the day but faded with a closing 72, including a double bogey on the last, to tie for ninth place.

On April 29, Dufner won at New Orleans to end a long win drought that included squandering a late lead at last year's PGA Championship. On May 5, he married his girlfriend Amanda Boyd.

And on Sunday, he won the $US1.17 million ($A1.2 million) top prize at a $US6.5 million ($A6.6 million) event at TPC Four Seasons to join compatriot Hunter Mahan as the only multiple winners of the US tour this season.

"There were a lot of people making a lot of shots down the stretch," Dufner said.

"Luckily, I had a nice chance at 18 to close it out. I had a good feel for the putt. I didn't want a playoff.

"Two wins and to get married in the same month - it doesn't get much better professionally or personally."

Dufner had back-to-back bogeys at the second and third holes but then birdied the fourth and fifth as well as the par-five seventh. He went birdie-bogey to open the back nine and birdied the par-five 16th before his winning birdie at 18.

Pride settled for second after a final-round 68. After three birdies in a row, he found water off the tee at 18, then sank a tense par putt. Pride has not won since his taking his lone PGA title in 1994 at Memphis as a rookie.

"It feels really good," Pride said. "I played solid all week - a lot of confidence in myself. I know I can play at this level."

Henry appeared to have the title in hand with birdies at 15 and 16 for a one-stroke lead at 11-under, but went left off the tee at the par-three 17th, missed a 27-footer for par then missed a 2 1/2-footer and took a double bogey.

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