'Dufnering' Wins the Internet

Who could have guessed that Jason Dufner, of all golfers, would blow up into an Internet meme? But that's exactly what happened on Thursday after Deadspin posted this photo:

What's the explanation? Dufner was making some sort of appearance at a kindergarten class in Dallas, in conjunction with his "media day" duties as the defending champion at the Byron Nelson Classic. Dufner's overall silly look - the pooched out belly, the limp arms and legs, that pout - caught the eye of Keegan Bradley, who tweeted the photo.

Soon, the Twitter hashtag "#dufnering" was born, and others started tweeting pics of themselves Dufnering.

Not surprisingly, the best of the early efforts came from Bubba Watson:

 

(Yes, for those who don't know, that is the real General Lee from The Dukes of Hazzard, which Watson owns.)

Before long, "#dufnering" shot to the top of Twitter's trending topics. Jason Dufner himself weighed in on Friday morning, offering this explanatory tweet:

What can I say, I was tired, my back hurt from sitting on the floor, and we were talking about relaxation and focusing. #dufnering
— Jason Dufner (@JasonDufner) March 29, 2013

Complete with the #dufnering hashtag! Well done, Jason.

Here are some of the other pro golfers who have gotten in on the Dufnering "craze":

Michelle Wie dufnering on the Mission Hills Walk of Champions

Keegan Bradley, Dustin Johnson and Brandt Snedeker
 

Rickie Fowler

Karen Stupples

Luke Donald

Rickie Fowler again, dufnering at Bubba's house

 

Sandra Gal (and stuffed animal) dufnering

Senior major winner Roger Chapman


 

Rory McIlroy (continuing his early season slump)

LET golfers in Morocco: Amelia Lewis and Holly Clyburn

Paula Creamer (and her Pink Panther)

And here's Ian Poulter with another contender for the "Best #Dufnering by a Pro Golfer Who Is Not Jason Dufner" award:

Soon enough, Dufnering came full circle when Jason Dufner himself posted a photo of himself doing it Friday morning in the Auburn University athletics department weight room:

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