HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — Justin Thomas had yet one more hurdle to show his sport was again the place he felt it belonged, and he cleared it Sunday within the RBC Heritage with the longest putt he ever made to win.
Strolling as much as the 18th inexperienced at Harbour City in a playoff with Andrew Novak, Thomas remarked to fill-in caddie Joe Greiner that he had by no means made a putt of any size to win on the ultimate gap. He had simply outdoors 20 ft.
The putt was so pure, Thomas dropped his putter earlier than the ball disappeared into the cup, setting off a joyous celebration at ending practically three years with no win.
“That was fairly cool,” he mentioned. “That was as enjoyable as I believed it will be.”
Thomas performed bogey-free in dry, quick circumstances on a course that demanded precision, making a 25-foot birdie putt on the sixteenth gap and shutting with a 3-under 68.
Possibly probably the most nervous second got here within the scoring trailer as Thomas watched Novak stand over an 8-foot putt for the win. The birdie putt was left all the best way, and Novak — who made an enormous birdie of his personal on the sixteenth — had a 68 to hitch Thomas at 17-under 267.
Within the playoff, Novak missed from simply inside 35 ft, setting the stage for Thomas. He felt pure pleasure as he appeared round on the packed grandstands on one aspect, the Calibogue Sound on one other and his household cheering him on behind the 18th inexperienced.
“I did not understand how a lot I missed successful,” Thomas mentioned on the 18th inexperienced as he stood subsequent to spouse, Jill, and 5-month-old daughter, Molly.
His earlier win was the PGA Championship at Southern Hills in Could 2022. His sport slipped. He missed the FedEx Cup playoffs for the primary time in 2023, and he was left off the Presidents Cup workforce a 12 months in the past.
His sport was again so as — he cracked the highest 10 once more — and wanted solely a victory to verify his place again among the many elite.
“I believe it was the very last thing lacking, if you’ll,” Thomas mentioned. “It is laborious to say, as a result of clearly careers are so lengthy and there is a lot up and down and plenty happening that you simply by no means know what level of your profession you are at till it is over.
“At the least for me, I felt prefer it was the very last thing that I wanted to do for my very own well-being.”
Novak was a runner-up in Bermuda final fall. He was proper there at Torrey Pines within the Farmers Insurance coverage Open. He was within the combine on the Valero Texas Open. And this appeared prefer it is perhaps his second to interrupt by way of, till Thomas refused to be denied.
“I am not as pissed off as I believed I might be,” Novak mentioned. “I really feel like I did quite a lot of good issues. I am fairly happy with placing myself in that place once I actually felt like I wasn’t swinging it that nice this week.
“I believed I used to be a bit of extra snug down the stretch than possibly I’ve been prior to now. Justin simply went out and received it. There’s nothing you may actually do about it.”
Thomas received for the sixteenth time on the PGA Tour and moved to No. 6 on the planet. He additionally jumped into the highest six within the Ryder Cup standings.
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Thomas and Novak pulled away in the course of the spherical from a good leaderboard — a four-way tie at one level, as they have been joined by 54-hole chief Si Woo Kim and Maverick McNealy.
Daniel Berger closed with a 65 to tie for third with McNealy (70), Mackenzie Hughes (67) and Brian Harman (69).
Defending champion Scottie Scheffler even acquired in on the act, simply briefly. He began 4 pictures behind and was even for the spherical by way of eight holes. However he ran off three birdies in a four-hole stretch across the flip to tug inside two.
Scheffler was operating out of holes when he took on a high-risk shot needing eagle to have a respectable probability. That discovered the water, resulting in double bogey. He nonetheless shot 70 and tied for eighth, his third straight top-10 whereas contending into the ultimate hour.
“I believe I am actually shut,” Scheffler mentioned. “I really feel like I did quite a lot of issues nicely this week, just some of the vital pictures I simply did not pull off. Outdoors of that, it was a fairly strong week.”
Thomas received the match with a birdie in a playoff. He saved his probabilities towards the tip of the entrance 9 when he made 5 straight putts beginning on the fourth gap — 8 ft for par, 7 ft for birdie, 7 ft for par, 8 ft for par and simply inside 15 ft for birdie on No. 8, the place he took on the bushes with a 7-iron to provide himself an opportunity.
Novak had tree hassle and battled away, getting just a few good bounces and a outstanding par save from a sandy lie amid a forest on No. 11.
He strikes excessive sufficient on the planet rating — inside the highest 35 — that he ought to be a lock for the U.S. Open and now wants to remain within the high 50 over the subsequent month for The Open.
