Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Thomas wins playoff for PGA title
TULSA, OKLA. » Justin Thomas made two birdies in a three-hole playoff and won his second PGA Championship, beating Will Zalatoris at Southern Hills.
Thomas parred the 18th hole to clinch his first major title since the 2017 PGA Championship.
Both players birdied the par-5 13th before heading to the par-4 17th, which was playing at 308 yards Sunday. Thomas hit a high fade that landed on the green, then lagged his eagle putt to about 3 feet.
Zalatoris missed the green to the right and pitched to about 8 feet, but his birdie putt slid by.
On the first playoff hole, Thomas laid up after a drive into the right rough. He hit his short approach to 6 feet and rolled in the putt.
Zalatoris ripped his drive down the middle of the fairway and went for the green in two, setting up a 25-footer for his first eagle of the week. He missed the putt but tapped in for birdie.
Third-round leader Mito Pereira of Chile squandered a one-shot lead on the 18th when he drove into the creek off the tee and made double bogey.
Thomas and Zalatoris finished at 5-under 275.
Thomas began the day seven shots behind Pereira and shot a 3-under 67, tied for the best round of the day. He missed a putt inside 15 feet on his final hole that would have gotten him to 6-under, but Pereira’s meltdown on 18 gave him a chance.
Zalatoris rode a roller-coaster round full of shots that included a penalty drop for an unplayable lie. He made birdie at the 17th to reach 5-under, then got up and down for par at the 18th to get into the playoff.
Pereira began the day with a three-shot lead at Southern Hills. He played his last five holes in 3-over.
Pereira was attempting to become the third major winner from South America. He has never won on the PGA Tour, let alone won a major. The last full-time tour player who made a major his first victory was Shaun Micheel, who won the 2003 championship at Oak Hill.