Thomas holds nerve for Players triumph

Justin Thomas produced a brilliant burst of scoring amid a near-flawless weekend of golf to win the prestigious Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass.

Thomas was seven shots off the lead after 36 holes and still three behind Lee Westwood heading into the final round, but he followed a 64 on Saturday with a 68 yesterday to claim a 14th PGA Tour title and the £1.9 million first prize.

At 14-under-par, Thomas won by a single shot from Westwood, who birdied the 18th to edge ahead of playing partner Bryson DeChambeau and Brian Harman, with Paul Casey and Talor Gooch another shot back.

The victory makes Thomas just the fourth player to win the Players Championship, a major championship, a World Golf Championships event and the FedEx Cup after Tiger Woods, Henrik Stenson and Rory McIlroy, who missed the cut in the defence of his title. The former US PGA champion, who was dropped by sponsor Ralph Lauren after using a homophobic slur mid-round in Hawaii in January, was one-over-par for his round after following seven straight pars with a three-putt bogey on the eighth.

But the 27-year-old then birdied the ninth and 10th, made an eagle from 20 feet on the 11th and birdied the 12th after smashing his tee shot over the green on the driveable par four.

Thomas gave the chasing pack hope with a three-putt bogey on the 14th, the world No 3 missing from inside three feet for par.

But a two-putt birdie on the par-five 16th edged him back in front and Westwood had to scramble for par on the same hole after his second shot hit a tree and dropped down into a fairway bunker.

DeChambeau had not given up the chase and an eagle on the 16th took him to within two of the lead.

Thomas’s heart would have been in his mouth as his tee shot on the 18th turned towards the water, but a favourable bounce ensured the ball stayed on dry land and with Westwood three-putting the 17th, victory was effectively assured.

Westwood had the consolation of gaining more valuable points in the race to qualify for a recordequalling 11th Ryder Cup appearance.

But the 47-year-old will be disappointed with his closing 72, especially after moving three shots clear with a birdie on the first.

Westwood promptly gave the shot back after hitting an attempted recovery shot from the trees into the water on the second and although he sliced his tee shot at the fourth into the water, Westwood gained a shot on DeChambeau, who topped his tee shot into a different hazard and hit a dreaded shank with his third.

WINNER: Justin Thomas carded a closing round 68 to claim the £1.9m prize at Sawgrass.