Thomas fires closing 69, coasts to easy victory
Justin Thomas took all the drama out of the final World Golf Championship at Firestone, never letting anyone closer than two shots and closing with a 1-under 69 to win the Bridgestone Invitational for his third PGA Tour title this season.
Sweeter than capturing his first World Golf Championship was the sight behind the 18th green Sunday.
His grandparents, Paul and Phyllis Thomas, watched him win for the first time on the PGA Tour. Paul Thomas was a career club professional and played at Firestone in the 1960 PGA Championship, missing the 54-hole cut. His son, Mike Thomas, also is a career club pro in Kentucky and a former PGA of America board member.
“I got a little choked up when I saw grandma and grandpa over there,” Thomas said. “It’s really cool. They don’t get to come out very often.”
They saw a one-man show. Playing in the final group with Rory McIlroy, the 25-year-old Thomas made only two birdies. That was all he needed on a day when just about everyone within range was making all the mistakes.
McIlroy finished the back nine with consecutive bogeys and never recovered. Ian Poulter shot 74. Jason Day tried to make a run by making three straight birdies, only to play the final six holes in 5 over to shoot 73.
Tiger Woods, an eight-time winner at Firestone, started 11 shots behind and figured he would go out with a bang by playing aggressively. He turned in a dud, and a birdie on the 18th hole gave him another 73 to leave him 15 shots behind.
PGA Tour: Andrew Putnam won the Barracuda Championship in Reno, Nev., for his first PGA Tour title, holding off Chad Campbell by four points in the modified Stableford scoring event.
Putnam earned $612,000, a two-year tour exemption and a spot in the PGA Championship.
LPGA Tour: Georgia Hall of England reeled in long-time leader Pornanong Phatlum in a final-round duel at Royal Lytham to win the Women’s British Open for her first major title.
Roared on by the large galleries in her home country, the 22-year-old Hall only took the lead for the first time after a 20foot putt for birdie at the 16th hole and stayed steady to post 5-under 67.
After tapping in for a bogey – her first of the day – at No. 18 that secured a twoshot victory over Pornanong (70), Hall hugged her playing partner from Thailand before being lifted off her feet by her caddie, father Wayne.
Champions Tour: Kenny Perry won the 3M Championship one last time, closing with a 3-under 69 for a threestroke victory in the PGA Tour Champions event in Blaine, Minn., that is being replaced by the PGA Tour’s 3M Open.
The 57-year-old Perry matched Hale Irwin’s tournament record of three victories in the final edition of the event that started in 1993 at Bunker Hills.
Perry finished at 21-under 195. Wes Short Jr. was second after a 63.