Sources: Dufner Facing Fine, Possible Suspension Over #Dufnering

Jason Dufner, whose slumped, indifferent posture became a national social media sensation under Twitter’s “Dufnering” hashtag, faces a sizeable PGA Tour fine and possible suspension for conduct unbecoming a professional golfer.

According to a well-placed source with direct knowledge of PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem’s thinking and speaking exclusively to GeoffShackelford.com, Dufner’s objectionable sitting position, zoned-out expression and subversive arm-tuck during a Dallas-area school photo-opportunity fueled unacceptable copycats around the country. Tweets by Dufner peers Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler, Rory McIlroy, Brandt Snedeker, Keegan Bradley and Luke Donald distracted fans from last week’s Shell Houston Open and even had Finchem considering fines for the copycat Tweeters before he was talked out of that idea.

“Finchem felt the Dufner photo appearing on Deadspin was way worse than what Vijay [Singh] did and said Dufner even makes Tiger look like a choir boy because he dragged other players into this,” reports the source, who said a tour vice president pulled out his cell phone and offered to read some Tiger text messages to Joslyn James before Finchem rescinded the  comment. “Some people in the room tried to explain to him that it was helping the image of the tour by having players showing a whimsical side on social media, but he wouldn't have it. Finchem insisted after reading Dufner's explanation that Duf was a ‘subversive’ and needed to be taught a lesson. I haven’t seen him this angry since he found out his hair colorist was moving to Daytona.”

The source, who was privy to last Friday’s emergency PGA Tour discussions, said Finchem received pushback from several of his lieutenants for the first time since 2008 when he announced that their annual pay raises would not exceed 20% due to the stock market collapse. In the case of Dufner, the underlings expressed concern about negative publicity from a player suspension for seemingly harmless behavior, predicting that word of the normally secret fines would get out. Finchem strongly disagreed with those assembled in a tour headquarters conference room so much so that he reportedly went to a nearby wall and attempted to replicate “Dufnering.” Eventually after struggling to get the positioning to his satisfaction, Finchem jumped back up and declared, “I just don’t think this is funny in any way, especially around young fans and possible future First Tee participants!”

Dufner is likely to be notified of Finchem’s decision as soon as Tuesday. Meanwhile, when asked the status of the tour’s investigation into Vijay Singh’s admitted purchase and use of a banned substance under the PGA Tour doping policy, the source said it could be a year before Finchem feels assured that Singh wasn’t framed by Sports Illustrated.

This would explain a purported April 1, 2014 deadline Finchem has set for an end to the Singh investigation.

Comments

[Ryan]

Happy April Fool's

[Diddy]

April Fools

[Vin]

You had me until Joslyn James sentence - nicely played Geoff!!

[Scotty]

I kept thinking this "source" must be the Onion. Thank you for reminding me today is April 1 nice and early.

[freshfrankie]

I like how you've seasoned it with absurd facts like the hair colourist's move. I almost forgot that. Does anyone still have that video of Timmy's near-breakdown from back then? And how come it never really went viral?

[Stanley Thompson]

Actually easy to miss the April Fool's joke because Timmy is quite a leader and these things are certainly within his scope of leadership.

[No Longer Used to be Former Stack & Tilt Convert]

I was biting all the way up until the VJ reference. good one

[Goldie]

Good one! For a minute there, I forgot it was April Fool's.

[Mark B]

He's not being fined for the subversive arm tuck? Players have gone deep into their wallets for less than this.

[Mo]

Nice one Geoff!! April Fools! Lol

[digsouth]

Now you've done it....you planted the thought in Tim's head, and what lies ahead for Duf could be pretty ugly. This is how wars get started- simple humor taken seriously by subversive seeking overpaid kommischioners (sp?).

And on a serious note, I got an email from a friend in Fl. that Erik K is coming back on MD to replace the Hack, since Holly stated on a show that ''....her boyfriend, Erik,...'' and there was no big outcry, so soon mr. personality ( just ask him) can do on air flirting with HS, much to our dismay.

And ---good one, Geoff!

[Chris]

Great job.

[BrianS]

Nice. I liked the 20% pay raise pushback bit.

[DENNIS]

GOT ME!! with all this "PC" in the world, this would have been the last straw for me!! HAHAHAHAA, love it!!

[Andy]

Finchem's going to suspend Dufner now just to screw up your April Fool's joke.

[pg]

@Andy even if he did we would never know it hear about it.

[Brad Ford]

By using the term "Subversive", you might have the Scientologists out to get you.

[DTF]

In case you guys haven't figured it out already -- Vijay has been cleared, the Tour will have nothing more to say on the topic.

[John Morris]

You had me right up to the Tiger reference. Well done
John

[Jerry fm VA Beach]

Why does everyone think this is an April Fool's Day joke?

[benseattle]

In other news, Greg Norman and Chris Evert announced that they're re-uniting, years after their 15-month marriage seemingly came apart. "The truth is," admitted Evert, "we were never divorced or even separated. There's never been a moment when we've not been blissfully in love but Greg thought that announcing a split would be a great April Fools Day joke that would get him a lot of the attention he lost when his golf career when south. We've enjoyed all the fuss -- well, Greg and his ego have -- but after more than three years I insisted that we come clean."

Added Norman, "With any luck, this will get us back on the cover of People and that should provide a big boost to my "Greg Norman BRAND."

[Snoozing Marshall]

"Finchem received pushback from several of his lieutenants for the first time since 2008 when he announced that their annual pay raises would not exceed 20% due to the stock market collapse."

LMAO, perfect...

[digsouth]

Vijay('s skin) has been cleared, the Tour will have nothing more to say on the topic(al).

And Mr. Finchem announced that the new ProActive Deer Whiz has been picked up as a title sponsor for the post-Fedex time, called the
''ProActive Vijay Clear Spray Pitch, Putt, and Punt Competition, with Deer Whiz; it's in the bottle''

[DTF]

digger, not joking, it's done....d-o-n-e....case closed....no further comment.

[digsouth]

Ok Del, I believe ou, but how about a clue as to your -

a) reasoning
B) source, as much as you can reveal, or
3) source.

I DO believe you, and I know you have secret panels behind book cases, hidden staircases, and in general, a house that ''The Ghost and Mr Chicken'' could have been filmed at, and all the connections of David Niven in Casino Royale-so I'll send you an e mail addy, if you can't reveal it on here. Inquiring minds, etc.....

[i.m. commoner]

too bad it's not fact.

[DTF]

digger....as I said, no further comment.

(but you make a note the current date and time and come back to me later)

[DTF]

BTW, where's my silver dollar? Wanna let it ride double or nothing?

[jonathan knoxville]

April Fool's Day jokes aside, deer whiz will also make your hair grow in thicker and fuller.

So if we see Tim rubbing a pine tree, it will be a tell.

[FWIW]

Got me. It sounded like EXACTLY the kind of thing the tour would do.

[IGF-too]

Actually johnny it doesn't.

[johnnnycz]

And I thought The Tavistock Cup was an annual April Fools joke...Todd Lewis sure brought eyeballs and prestige to the event I bet


Maybe he'll get some world ranking pts out of it if Tiger gets his way. The field is deeper than his Chevron challenge/party/tax shelter