Justin Thomas got here up clutch on the first playoff gap to win for the primary time for the reason that 2022 US PGA Championship and take dwelling the winner’s US$3.6 million cheque on the RBC Heritage at Harbour City Golf Hyperlinks in South Carolina.
Thomas began the signature occasion on hearth with a course document matching ten-under par spherical of 71, however cooled within the coming days earlier than a three-under par closing spherical of 68 was sufficient handy him a playoff berth towards Andrew Novak.
Thomas was rock strong all through the ultimate spherical going bogey free to achieve -17 for the event, after which when replaying the scenic 18th gap, he performed it virtually to perfection.
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A fairway discovering 3-wood off the tee left the two-time main champion with a 9-iron into the inexperienced, and he discovered the placing floor earlier than rolling within the birdie putt from roughly 21 toes after watching Novak come up quick from 31 toes.
“That was simply a lot enjoyable making that putt,” Thomas stated.
It was the seventh time the 31-year-old has been concerned in a playoff on the PGA Tour and he enhanced his fame as an enormous second participant, successful in a decider for the fifth time.
The victory was additionally Thomas’ sixteenth PGA Tour title, however not having received since he claimed his second PGA Championship crown almost three years in the past, the place he defeated Will Zalatoris in a three-hole playoff, was consuming away at him.
Put up-round, Thomas expressed immense reduction at being within the winner’s circle as soon as once more.
“It’s unbelievable. Man, you are taking without any consideration how arduous successful is. Not less than I do know I did originally of my profession,” Thomas stated.
“I used to be very lucky to play some actually good golf there early on and felt like I used to be simply going to win yearly.
“That mentality might have been what brought on it to not occur.
“However it’s so fricking arduous to win out right here. It’s arduous to remain affected person if you really feel like you may have numerous possibilities.
“You don’t know what’s going to occur, however I actually felt prefer it was going to. You simply needed to keep affected person and let it occur, and we did it. So, it feels unbelievable.”
It was yet one more heartbreaker for Novak as for the third time this season the 30-year-old performed within the closing group however got here up wanting victory.
The American had an opportunity to assert a maiden PGA Tour title in regulation however his birdie putt from a bit of greater than 10 toes missed on the 72nd gap.
Novak matched Thomas’ closing spherical of 68, however was extra chaotic with 4 birdies and two bogeys on the entrance 9, earlier than including one other birdie on the fifteenth.
A breakthrough victory would have been life-changing for Novak as he has solely performed in a single main in his profession to this point, on the 2022 US Open the place he missed the minimize.
Receiving the most important exemptions that might have include victory would have been a lot welcomed.
Cam Davis completed the very best of the Australians with a fair par closing spherical 71 leaving him in a tie for thirteenth at -10.
It was a rollercoaster Sunday for Davis with a double bogey at 9, and bogeys at ten and 12 shifting him to three-over par for the spherical, however he bounced again with birdies at 13, 15 and 16 to maneuver again up the leaderboard and register a delightful a end result after lacking 5 cuts in a row coming into this week.
Jason Day and Adam Scott completed side-by-side at -4 with the pair of former world No.1’s capturing 73 apiece within the closing spherical.
PGA Tour rookie Karl Vilips slipped again with a closing spherical 74 to complete one shot again from Day and Scott, whereas Min Woo Lee rounded out the Australian contingent, ending the week on a excessive with a 68 to maneuver to -2 total.
Dahmen suffers ALL-TIME meltdown | 01:11
On the second PGA Tour occasion of the week, the Corales Puntacana Championship, Joel Dahmen heartbreakingly missed a par putt from tap-in vary on the 72nd gap to drop a shot, and lose by one shot in the long run.
South African Garrick Higgo claimed victory within the Dominican Republic at -14, with Dahmen amongst a bunch of 5 gamers that completed in a share of second.
The American set a course document ten-under 62 within the opening spherical however threw away victory with a closing spherical 76.