Jason Dufner to throw out first pitch tonight

May, 25, 2012
5/25/12
11:00
AM CT
FORT WORTH, Texas -- Winning the HP Byron Nelson Championship has its rewards. And for Jason Dufner, that includes throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at the Texas Rangers-Toronto Blue Jays game tonight.

Dufner, who entered the second round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial just one stroke back of leader Zach Johnson, had an early tee time on Friday. So he plans to get to the park early enough to see some batting practice and say hello to a few players.

"I'm really excited," said Dufner after his first round Thursday at Colonial Country Club. "This will be the first time I've ever done anything like that, so it should be fun. I don't have much experience throwing a baseball in that environment, but I have thrown a baseball before. So hopefully I could get it across the plate and have a good time with it."

Dufner said he's heard it can be difficult to throw a strike from the mound if you're not used to it.

"I might cheat it and go up in front of the mound," Dufner said.

Dufner is trying to become only the second golfer to win the Dallas and Fort Worth PGA Tour events in the same season. The only other golfer to do it was Ben Hogan in 1946. Read more about that here.
Richard Durrett joined ESPNDallas.com in September 2009. He writes about colleges, the Dallas Stars and the Texas Rangers. Richard spent nine years at The Dallas Morning News covering the Rangers, Stars, colleges, motorsports and high schools.

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TEAM LEADERS

WINS LEADER
Yu Darvish
WINS ERA SO IP
7 2.84 91 66
OTHER LEADERS
BAI. Kinsler .302
HRN. Cruz 11
RBIN. Cruz 34
RE. Andrus 30
OPSM. Moreland .908
ERAY. Darvish 2.84
SOY. Darvish 91

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