WiretoWire: Justin Thomas wins second PGA Championship
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Justin Thomas wins second major title in comeback fashion at PGA Championship
Justin Thomas trailed by seven strokes entering the final round of the PGA Championship, but he trusted his game, knowing that a Sunday at a major championship is predictable in its unpredictability. The University of Alabama alum overcame a shanked tee shot at the par-3 sixth Sunday to match the day’s low round with a 3-under 67. Thomas posted 5-under total, soon thereafter matched by Will Zalatoris, then watched as 54-hole leader Mito Pereira, in just his second major start, made double bogey on the 72nd Jhole to finish one stroke shy. Thomas played the three-hole aggregate playoff in 1-under, edging Zalatoris by a stroke to earn his second major title and 15th PGA TOUR victory overall. Prior to this week, seven consecutive major winners at Southern Hills had led or co-led through 36 holes; Zalatoris fell just short in his bid to extend the streak to eight. Thomas, 29, adds a second Wanamaker Trophy to his collection after earning his first major title at Quail Hollow in 2017. He earns 600 FedExCup points for his victory, and he moves to No. 4 on the season-long standings. “I was asked early in the week about what lead is safe,” reflected Thomas after his victory in Oklahoma, “and I said, ‘No lead.’” With a dramatic late-afternoon comeback at Southern Hills, he proved just that.
Tiger Woods made the cut at the PGA Championship, but difficult conditions, pain and soreness following the third round led to Woods withdrawing after carding a 9-over 79 on Saturday. Woods’ 79 was his highest-ever score in a PGA Championship round. Woods was visibly in pain during Saturday’s cold conditions and his WD was announced shortly after the final group completed Round 3 at Southern Hills. Woods opened with a 4-over 74 and followed it with a second-round 69 to make the cut. Woods struggled from the start Saturday. He was 10-over through 13 holes before playing the final five holes in 1-under. Woods' agent Mark Steinberg told Sports Illustrated that Woods was suffering from pain in his foot Saturday. This was just his second WD from a major championship and first as a professional. He also withdrew from the 1995 U.S. Open after injuring his wrist in the second round while hitting his ball out of the rough.
The PGA TOUR makes its final stop of the season in Texas at the Charles Schwab Challenge. After a missed cut at the PGA Championship, Scottie Scheffler is back in action, headlining a field that features five of the world’s top 10. Will Zalatoris, Mito Pereira and Justin Thomas are set to be there after strong showings at the PGA Championship. Collin Morikawa will tee it up in Fort Worth. He finished T14 a year ago and lost in a playoff in 2020. Jason Kokrak returns to defend his title from 2021. Jordan Spieth is hoping he’ll continue his fine play around Colonial, as he has three runner-up results in Fort Worth plus a victory in 2016. Viktor Hovland is the other world top-10 player in the field alongside Scheffler, Morikawa, Spieth and Thomas. Colonial Country Club is a par 70 and plays to 7,209 yards. The PGA TOUR heads to the John Bredemus/Perry Maxwell design for the 77th time – it’s the longest-running non-major event on the PGA TOUR schedule to be contested on the same course. The winner will receive 500 FedExCup points.
THE TURN
VIDEO OF THE WEEK
MIC CHECK
“He's feeling it. He's feeling it on every swing, but he's the ultimate pro. Looking at him yesterday, if that would have been me, I would have been considering pulling out and just going home, but Tiger is different and he's proved he's different. It was just a monumental effort.” - Rory McIlroy speaking on Tiger Woods’ effort in the PGA Championship before Woods withdrew after Round 3.
BY THE NUMBERS
63 - Bubba Watson’s second-round score at Southern Hills, which tied the course record. It was also the 18th round of 63 recorded in PGA Championship history and the 38th overall in a men’s major.
2 - Wins by Steven Alker and Miguel Angel Jimenez on PGA TOUR Champions this season. No player has more in 2022, and they lead the Schwab Cup Standings at Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, entering this week’s KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship at Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor, Michigan.
1 - Times that Tiger Woods has withdrawn from a major as a professional.
COMCAST BUSINESS TOUR TOP 10
The Comcast Business TOUR TOP 10 highlights and rewards the extraordinary level of play required to earn a spot in the TOP 10 at the conclusion of the FedExCup Regular Season as determined by the FedExCup standings. The competition recognizes and awards the most elite in golf.