Auburn’s Jason Dufner to enter Alabama Sports HOF

AUBURN, Ala. – Former Auburn golfer Jason Dufner will join an exclusive roster that includes Bo Jackson, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Jesse Owens when he’s inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025 May 3 in Birmingham. 

“It’s a great honor,” Dufner said. “Alabama has an extensive and accomplished group of athletes who have come through this state, either having been born here or having college roots. To be regarded as someone who accomplished to that level, it’s quite an honor.”

The honor, says Dufner, is a tad bittersweet, indicating as it does that his lowest rounds of golf are likely in the past. 

“Part of me is a little sad because when you get honored for these types of things, they’re talking about what you did was great and maybe you’re not going to be doing that anymore,” he said. 

Golf, via the Champions Tour, offers athletes 50 and older an opportunity to compete professionally against their peers, something Dufner plans to do once he celebrates a milestone birthday in March 2027. 

“Golf is a weird sport in the fact that you never really retire,” he said. “I’m looking forward to being competitive and playing golf against guys closer to my age. I don’t consider myself retired from the sport I’ve played predominantly for the past 25 years, but it’s nice to be recognized.”

A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Dufner attended high school in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. 

“I got a late start in golf and wasn’t highly recruited,” he recalled. “I didn’t have an extensive Junior resume.”

Convinced he could compete collegiately, Dufner applied to several schools including Auburn, joining the team as a walk-on. 

“I liked the town. The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail was new back then, and the golf team was nationally recognized and had a lot of guys who left the year before,” said Dufner, who won three tournaments for the Tigers. “In 1995, it was a lot different than it is now.”

Thirty years later, Dufner is a hall of famer, but his success did not come instantly. 

“The only person who’s telling you if you’re good enough is yourself and your results,” he said. “I had good enough results that kept me positive and feeling like I had a chance to make some of the dreams I had a reality.

“There were definitely low points, like every athlete has, but I always had just enough success to keep that dream alive. It took me a little longer to get where I wanted to. Once I got comfortable with playing and having some success on the PGA Tour, that gave me more confidence to achieve the things I did. 

“Getting on the PGA Tour and staying out there for a year or two was probably the most challenging thing I encountered in my career, probably a lot more challenging than winning tournaments.”

Win tournaments, he did. Dufner earned five PGA Tour victories including the 2013 PGA Championship. 

After five years as an Auburn student-athlete, Dufner left the Plains in 2000 but soon returned, an avid supporter of multiple Auburn sports. 

“That’s been nice for me to follow,” said Dufner, a full-time Auburn resident since 2002. “If you live in the city of Auburn, you would understand. It’s been a comfortable spot for me. When you travel 30 weeks a year, it’s nice to have that quality of life and a little slower-paced lifestyle. It’s a great place to live and raise a family.”

A regular at Auburn’s Jack Key Facility, the Tigers’ former volunteer coach remains close to the program, offering pointers when asked and competing in practice rounds against the 2024 national champions.

“The golf team relationship has been great,” he said. “I use the facility to practice. That’s gotten better and better with Coach Clinard, and the team’s gotten better and better.”

Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on X: @jeff_shearer