Thomas: Apparently I need to fly at least 12 hours to get a win on the PGA Tour
Justin Thomas knew he was playing well enough to start the year with a victory in the SBS Tournament of Champions. He just didn’t expect to have to play so many good shots in the end to win. Even on Maui, life can move pretty fast, writes Doug Ferguson.
Thomas had a five-shot lead with five holes to play when he holed a 10-foot birdie putt on the 13th hole. Three holes later, he stood on the edge of the 16th green and watched Hideki Matsuyama stand over a 10-foot birdie putt that would have tied him for the lead.
Asked if there was ever a time in his golfing life that he feared blowing a tournament, Thomas replied: “Today count?” The thought didn’t linger. He told his caddie, Jimmy Johnson, as they walked to the 17th tee that he would have gladly taken a one-shot lead with two holes to play before the tournament started. Thomas then hit an 8-iron from 214 yards so pure that he stopped to admire it as it settled three feet away for birdie, and he closed by smashing a 369-yard drive – his 10th tee shot of at least 350 yards the evnt – that set up a simple two-putt birdie for a 4-under 69.
He ended up with a threeshot victory over Matsuyama that made him sweat a little more than he imagined Sunday at Kapalua. He won for the third time in his third season on the PGA Tour, and they all have one thread. “I apparently have to fly at least 12 hours to get a win on the PGA Tour,” Thomas said.
His other two victories were in Malaysia at the CIMB Classic in 2015 and 2016. The difference at Kapalua was that his parents were there to see it for the first time. Mike Thomas is the long-time head pro at Harmony Landing outside Louisville, Kentucky, and still his son’s coach. Mother, Jani, was in tears. No surprise there. “I definitely made them stress a little bit more than probably they would have liked,” Thomas said. “But I love having them there.” Jordan Spieth carded eight birdies in a bogey-free 65 – the best round of the day – to surge up the leaderboard and take a share of third with Pat Perez and Ryan Moore on 16 under. Dustin Johnson was a shot further back, while world No 1 Jason Day finished with an eagle to close on 13 under.
After a closing 73 – his worst effort of the week – Russell Knox. pictured above, ended up joint 17th on 11-under. He was eighth with a round to go before having his momentum halted by a triple-bogey 7 at the third hole.