Thomas back at No. 1 after winning in Memphis
Justin Thomas recorded a 5-under 65 on Sunday and moved up to No. 1 in the World Golf Rankings by claiming a three-stroke victory at the World Golf Championships-fedex St. Jude Invitational in Memphis, Tenn.
Thomas finished at 13-under 267 on his four trips around TPC Southwind to pick up his 13th career PGA Tour victory.
Thomas was No. 3 in the World entering the tournament. Spain’s Jon Rahm was on top and Northern Ireland’s Rory Mcilroy was second.
“Right now I’m obviously very happy and elated that we got it done today,” Thomas told reporters, “but I need to work on some things and get ready for the PGA (Championship) next week and try to win another major.”
Daniel Berger (65 on Sunday), Phil Mickelson (67), Brooks Koepka (69) and England’s Tom Lewis (66) tied for second at 10 under.
Koepka had the opportunity to finish alone in second — or catch Thomas with a birdie — but double-bogeyed the par-4, 18th hole.
Thomas delivered six birdies and one bogey. He had four birdies on the front nine, slipped up with a bogey on No. 12, and positioned himself for the victory with birdies on 15 and 16.
Thomas won with Jim “Bones” Mckay filling in as the caddy for Jimmy Johnson, who is away due to illness.
“He did what a lot of great caddies do and they let the player do it,” Thomas said.
“There’s a reason why they’re the best and he did an unbelievable job this week, especially for being in that situation, which we had never been in that together. You know, every player and caddy handles it differently.”
Koepka was 2-over for the final three holes to sabotage his chances of catching Thomas.
He had a bogey on the par-5, 16th hole and recovered with a birdie on the par-4, No. 17 before the disastrous final hole in which he knew he needed a birdie to force a playoff.
“To be honest with you, I thought I hit a good chip on 16. I don’t know what it did,” Koepka said while recapping the final stretch.
“Then another minute I thought it was in for another second. So to make bogey there was disappointing. Obviously drained a big one on 17 and then you’re down one. You’ve got to take an aggressive line on 18, so it is what it is.”
Mickelson played bogey-free golf and made three birdies on Sunday.
KANG HOLDS ON FOR ONE-SHOT WIN AT DRIVE ON CHAMPIONSHIP
Danielle Kang held her nerve to claim a one shot victory over France’s Celine Boutier at the Drive On Championship on Sunday, as the LPGA Tour made a dramatic return from a near six-month COVID-19 shutdown.
The final round at drizzly Inverness Club, in Toledo, Ohio, began with Kang, Boutier, and Britain’s Jodi Ewart Shadoff all sharing the lead and ended in sunshine with the American on top after carding a two-under 70.
Kang’s six-under 209 total was enough to earn the world No. 4 her fourth career LPGA Tour title.