Dufner brought his game and some laughs here

CEDAR RAPIDS - 'Things seem to explode on the Internet for Jason Dufner.”

So said none other than Dufner Sunday night at the Zach Johnson Foundation Classic's gala at the Cedar Rapids Marriott. That was after he had made several laughter-inducing, off-the-cuff remarks to a ballroom full of ZJFC supporters.

'I'm sure I'll have some explaining to do to my agent and everyone involved,” Dufner said.

Let's backtrack. First, Dufner may be the most stoic golfer on the PGA Tour. 'You can't tell if he's 13-over or 12-under,” Johnson said.

So that made it all the funnier when Dufner spouted a lot of deadpan lines while on a panel with Johnson and fellow Tour pro Jordan Spieth that was moderated by Golf Channel's Todd Lewis.

Second, Dufner says what a lot of pros think but won't publicly admit. Tourney-champions are called upon to appear at that event's Media Day the following year. Lewis asked Dufner how fun it was to be at the recent PGA Championship's Media Day in Louisville as the defending-champ.

'Zero,” was the immediate and surely honest reply.

The 2013 U.S. Presidents Cup team, which featured the three aforementioned players, was feted at the White House last week.

'I wasn't that impressed, to be honest,” Dufner said.

'Are you ever impressed?” Johnson asked.

Dufner sort of defended his comment, saying 'People make me do stuff all the time.”

Now, know these were guys having fun on a stage, playing to a crowd, entertaining. Little they said was overly serious, and nothing was subversive.

Besides, in a roundabout way, Dufner is the PGA's answer to Charles Barkley, which is fitting since both attended Auburn. He can probably say what he wants. People seem to find him endearing no matter what.

Take, for instance, 'Dufnering.” Not even Tiger Woods' name ever became a verb.

Last year in Irving, Texas, Dufner visited a youth center that works with at-risk children and sat in on a class with some second-graders. A photo of him surfaced in which he was slouched on the floor with his arms at his sides, looking even sleepier than he appears when he's on a golf course.

Dufner later said he was tired, his back hurt from sitting on the floor with the kids, and the teacher was talking about relaxation and focusing. But and fellow Tour pro Keegan Bradley, giddily tweeted the photo to the world, saying this about his good pal Dufner: 'Haha. I don't know what to say. This is the best picture ever.”

Soon, all sorts of big-name golfers and regular folks started Dufnering for photographers. Bradley even did it on a fairway at last September's Tour Championship after holing out from 170 yards.

'I guess it's pretty cool,” Dufner said Sunday about the craze. (You can find over 58,000 results for 'Dufnering” on Google.) 'People identify with it.

'It is kind of weird. I was at the 18th tee box at Colonial in a playoff (with Adam Scott), and I'm hearing ‘Dufner, Dufner, Dufner, we're Dufnering!' ”

Dufner was Johnson's doubles partner at the 2012 Ryder Cup and 2013 Presidents Cup. He said in seriousness Sunday that the biggest goal he has left in golf is to be on the winning team at a Ryder Cup. He's eighth on the U.S. points list. The top nine at the end of next month's PGA Championship automatically qualify for U.S. team in the September event in Scotland. Team captain Tom Watson will choose the final three players.

'I've not spoken to Tom Watson about Ryder Cup,” Dufner said. 'I'm not sure that Tom Watson knows that I still play golf. I'm in eighth-place, Mr. Watson. I still play golf.

'I plan on playing in a couple weeks in the Open Championship. Maybe we'll play a practice round (together). Probably not, though. Anyways, I hear he has a lot of experience. He's been on a winning (Ryder Cup) team before, so that's good.

Pretending his words were digging himself a hole with Watson - though no one who heard them took them as anything but him doing shtick - Dufner added 'I think I should make the team on my own because it doesn't sound like I'll be picked. Not after this.”

That got a huge laugh from the crowd, as did the host's retort.

'I love Tom Watson,” said Johnson.

l Comments: (319) 368-8840; mike.hlas@sourcemedia.net