An Interview with a New and Improved Jason Dufner!

You won the 2013 PGA Championship at Oak Hill by two shots over Jim Furyk, but a neck injury kept you from defending your title last year. Are you excited about heading to Whistling Straits?

Last year was tough. I wanted to defend my title, but I was hurt, and when you’re hurt, you have to do things to get back out here. I needed to make some changes.

An Interview with a New and Improved Jason Dufner!

Those changes were big. You dropped 25 pounds—and got a buzz cut. Why did you decide to slim down?

I had no choice. I hadn’t felt good physically for two, three years. Last year I missed the [FedEx Cup] playoffs, the PGA Championship, and the Ryder Cup. I wasn’t ready to give up golf yet, so I changed after [withdrawing from] the PGA. It was drastic, but I had to do it.

What are the specifics of the Dufner Diet?

It’s all about eating clean, meaning no carbs, no gluten, no sugar, no alcohol, no soda. Basically, no junk. I eat clean proteins and better fats, more natural foods. It took some adjusting.

That doesn’t sound like much fun.

It sucked. The first five days on a diet [late in 2014], I literally couldn’t get out of bed—I had headaches, with all of the toxins leaving my system. But I feel a lot better. I have better energy levels, and I can practice more because I don’t have as much inflammation.

How have your altered eating habits affected your golf game?

I’ve gotten some strength back for more swing speed. It’s hard to be competitive out here if you’re injured and feel terrible. Most people’s livelihood doesn’t depend on whether or not they eat cheeseburgers or pizza, but it kind of does for me. I had to do it. I’m getting older—I’m 38 now—and I have an arthritic, degenerative issue with my neck, so I have to do what I can to feel as good as possible.

So you eat absolutely zero junk?

Well, I have a few indiscretions every now and again—In-N-Out Burger—but I’m pretty clean.

So does that mean you’re shirtless at the beach these days?

Nah, I don’t go to the beach. You can’t make any money on the beach.

Where do you find the motivation to work so hard?

In winning and being competitive. Golf isn’t much fun unless you’re playing well. It’s a tough game. I’m not doing it for fun. I’m doing it to win, to beat these guys. Winning means the hard work I put in was worth it.

So golf isn’t a game to you?

No. I don’t look at golf as something fun. It’s my job, my passion, my profession, and something that I take very seriously.

You have three Tour wins, including one major.

It sounds like you have a sense of urgency regarding your career. What’s your vision? How good can Jason Dufner be at his best?

I don’t know that I don’t think about how many majors and how many wins. Competing is in my blood. The competitive part of the game—coming down the stretch on Sunday with a chance to win—is what I enjoy. Being in the mix is where I want to be. That’s when I feel most comfortable.

To read the rest of this interesting interview, go here.

Source :  by Connell BarrettGOLF