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Jim Furyk chalks up loss in PGA to Jason Dufner’s superior play

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ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Throughout the week, Jim Furyk had gently chided reporters for asking about his flameout at last year’s U.S. Open.

Not making cuts at this year’s U.S. and British Opens only added to the story line.

So after bogeys on Nos. 17 and 18, did Furyk lose the PGA Championship? Or after a clutch par putt on No. 15 and a must-make birdie ahead of Jason Dufner’s tap-in on No. 16, did Furyk make Dufner win it?

“I lost that tournament,” Furyk said of the 2012 U.S. Open. “[Sunday] I got beat by a guy who played better.”

Furyk did rue the closing bogeys, calling them “a little bit of a thorn in my side.”

Of the last 20 54-hole leaders in major tournaments, only four have won.

“He’s a great champion,” Dufner said. “He has played so well in so many majors.”

Swedes show well

Somewhere, Jesper Parnevik is smiling.

The former Swedish great knows his country’s fortunes are in good hands with Henrik Stenson and Jonas Blixt. Playing in the next-to-last pairing Sunday, both shot even-par 70 in adventurous rounds that featured Stenson nearly getting eagles on the two par-five holes.

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Stenson, who caught a bad break when his drive on No. 14 found a divot, finished third and Blixt was fourth.

“I’m happy with my performance,” said Stenson, who has finished in the top three in four consecutive tournaments. “I kept it together nicely.”

Peter Hanson moves up

With next weekend’s Wyndham Championship the final event before the FedEx Cup four-tournament playoff starts, Furyk, Dufner and Blixt made big jumps in the standings. Peter Hanson’s three-over-par pushed him to 126th, just outside the top 125 that will play in the Barclays.

The top 100 advance to the Deutsche Bank in Boston, and then 70 survivors battle for 30 Tour Championship spots at the Sept. 12-15 BMW Championship, which moves to Conway Farms in Lake Forest, Ill.

“I played a U.S. Junior there in 1997 or ‘98,” Brandt Snedeker said. “I know that golf course well and think it’s great. It’s a good setup for me. I’m looking forward to getting back.”

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Luke Donald’s home course replaces Cog Hill, which drew criticism for its Rees Jones redesign.

“I’ll make sure to go over and make him cook me dinner one night,” Snedeker cracked when asked whether he’d ask Donald for pointers.

Phil Mickelson aims to regroup

As Phil Mickelson signed post-round autographs, he apologized to a fan for playing so poorly.

“I have an emotional bond here at Oak Hill because I played my first Ryder Cup here [in 1995],” Mickelson said, speaking in the players’ parking lot. “It’s a wonderful golf course.”

It’s also a course that humbled the popular British Open champion. Mickelson shot a two-over 72 to finish 12 over. He failed to break par in any of his four rounds and posted 15 bogeys or worse and only 11 birdies.

His final round featured his second consecutive day with a triple bogey, this time on the par-four No. 5 when his approach found the water.

“I didn’t play well the last two weeks,” Mickelson said. “I’m not going to worry about it. I’m going to go home and take a few days off, get my short game sharp and start back up in four or five days for the FedEx Cup.”

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Tap-ins

Matt Kuchar needed a rules official when his ball became embedded near the top edge of a fairway bunker on No. 2 after he failed to blast out. Kuchar drew relief because the ground was determined not part of the bunker, but he still triple-bogeyed the par-four hole. ... Scott Piercy tied for fifth with Adam Scott after a five-under 65, Sunday’s low round.

kcjohnson@tribune.com

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