THOMAS TAKES TROPHY IN STUNNING PGA COMEBACK

JUSTIN Thomas matched the greatest last-day comeback in PGA Championship history on Monday, roaring back from seven strokes down at Southern Hills to capture his second major title.

The 29-year-old American (pictured) defeated compatriot Will Zalatoris by one stroke in a tension-packed three-hole aggregate playoff, after a heartbreaking 72nd-hole collapse by Chile’s Mito Pereira.

Pereira led all day only to hit his final tee shot into water and launch a double-bogey disaster at the 18th hole and hand Thomas the trophy.

“It was a bizarre day,” Thomas said. “I was asked earlier in the week about what lead is safe, and I said, no lead. This place is so tough.”

Not since John Mahaffey’s seven-shot rally at Oakmont in 1978 had anyone made such a fightback to win the PGA Championship.

Thomas, who also won the 2017 PGA title, fired a threeunder-par 67 in the final round and Zalatoris, last year’s Masters runner-up, shot 71 to finish 72 holes deadlocked on fiveunder 275.

Zalatoris and Thomas each birdied the par-5 13th to open the playoff. At the par-4 17th, Thomas drove the green and two-putted for birdie from 36 feet, while Zalatoris chipped to seven feet but missed his birdie bid.

At the 18th hole, Zalatoris missed a 40-foot birdie try and finished on one-under while Thomas two-putted from 26 feet, tapping in for par and the victory on two-under.

A BACK nine full of bogeys killed off Lucas Herbert’s PGA Championship charge. But Herbert, the world No.46, secured a maiden top-15 major finish. He and fellow Aussie Cameron Smith both finished at even par, five shots behind Thomas.