Justin Thomas rallies to win PGA Championship
Justin Thomas remembers hearing the roar before he ever saw the shot.
He had access to the clubhouse at Valhalla in 2000 as the 7-year-old son of a PGA professional, and the thunder from the gallery reached his ears before the TV showed Tiger Woods making the most important putt of his career at that PGA Championship.
Thomas was barely big enough to dream of playing against the best that day. Now his name is on the same Wanamaker Trophy.
Thomas closed with a 3-under 68 on Sunday at Quail Hollow to emerge from the shadow of Jordan Spieth, his longtime friend, and capture his first major that belonged as much to him as the two generations of PGA professionals that came before him.
“As a kid growing up, you want to win all the majors. You want to win any major,” Thomas said after his two-shot victory. “For me, the PGA definitely had a special place in my heart, and maybe a special drive. It’s just a great win for the family, and it’s a moment we’ll never forget - all of us.”
On this day, the cheers were for him.
They gave him chills when his 8foot birdie putt teetered on the edge of the 10th hole for 12 seconds before it finally dropped, when he chipped in from 40 feet on the 13th hole to seize control Sunday, and when he fired a 7-iron from 221 yards over the water to a peninsula green that all but sealed the victory.
Even more special than the trophy was seeing his father, Mike Thomas, walk toward with arms wide to wrap around his only son. Thomas is the longtime pro at Harmony Landing outside Louisville, Kentucky and a former board member of the PGA of America. His father, Paul Thomas, is a 60year PGA pro and the first person his grandson called.
The week began with Spieth’s quest for a career Grand Slam. He was at the 18th green late Sunday afternoon, but only so he could celebrate the moment with Thomas, close friends since they were 14.
“So awesome, dude,” Spieth told him. Thomas was every bit of that. With five players still in the mix on the back nine, Thomas surged ahead by chipping in for birdie and holding his nerve down the stretch as his challengers eventually faded, one after another.
Thomas won both Hawaii events at the start of the year, shooting a 59 in the Sony Open and setting the 72-hole record on the PGA Tour. He said then his goals were high. And how are they now?
“Let you know when the year’s over,” he said.