PGA Championship: Jason Dufner wins first major

Jason Dufner of the United States poses with the Wanamaker Trophy. Picture: Getty

Dufner, who equalled the lowest score in major history with a second-round 63, carded a closing 68 despite dropping shots at the final two holes, the 36-year-old finishing 10 under par.

Overnight leader Jim Furyk also bogeyed the 17th and 18th to finish two behind, Sweden’s Henrik Stenson claiming outright third on seven under to go with his runners-up finish in the Open Championship at Muirfield.

Defending champion Rory McIlroy recovered from a triple-bogey seven on the fifth to card a closing 70 and finish in a tie for eighth place, one shot ahead of fellow Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell and Scotland’s Marc Warren.

Lee Westwood, who started the day three under alongside McIlroy, struggled to a 76 to finish three over par.

“It probably has not sunk in,” Dufner said. “I can’t believe this is happening to me. To come back from a couple of years ago when I lost in a play-off feels really really good.

“I decided that I was going to be confident and put my best foot forward and play aggressive to try to win this thing. The last two holes were a little unfortunate but I am happy to get the job done and it’s a big step in my career.”

Beginning the day one shot behind Furyk, Dufner took command with some brilliant iron play, holing from four feet for birdie on the fourth and a matter of inches on the fifth, eighth and 16th to help erase the memories of his late collapse in the same event two years ago.

Dufner led by five shots in Atlanta after nearest challenger Keegan Bradley triple-bogeyed the 15th, only to find water on the same hole minutes later. After doing well to escape with a bogey there, he failed to get up and down from sand on the next and then three-putted the 17th.

Both men parred the 18th to go into a three-hole play-off which Bradley won by a shot to become the first player to capture a major with a long putter.