Clutch shots lift Thomas in Honda Classic playoff
Justin Thomas was down to his last chance Sunday when he delivered his most clutch shot of the final round in the Honda Classic. Turns out, he wasn’t finished.
Thomas nearly holed a gap wedge on the par-5 18th hole for a birdie to force a playoff with Luke List. Moments later, Thomas hit 5-wood over the water, urged it to keep going and lost it momentarily in the darkening sky over PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
“All I was looking at was the water to see if it splashed,” Thomas said. “And it didn’t. So I figured I was in the bunker, and then people started clapping and I could kind of see some little white dot on the green.”
That set up a two-putt birdie that made him a winner when List, who hit his own bold shot in regulation to the 18th to set up birdie, could manage only par in the playoff.
Thomas closed with a 2under-par 68 and won for the second time this season. He also won in a playoff at the CJ Cup in South Korea in the fall. With eight career victories, including seven in his past 31 starts on the PGA Tour, he moved to No. 3 in the world. He is one spot ahead of longtime friend Jordan Spieth for the first time, which was of little significance to Thomas.
“Not really,” he said, “because there are still two more spots that I want to climb.’
List, going for his first PGA Tour victory, shot 32 on the back nine and closed with a 69. His only regret was a tee shot wide right in the playoff that landed amid palm trees and left him few options. He went left against the bleachers, and hit a superb approach to about 25 feet and two-putted for par.
“It hurts right now,” List said, “but I think that when I look back on it, I’ll be proud of the way I hung in there.”
Alex Noren (67) was third. He was tied for the lead when he went for the green on the 18th, only for the ball to hang up on the side of the collar of a bunker, leaving him a tough chip. He missed a birdie chance from 20 feet.
Tiger Woods was briefly three shots off the lead on the front nine. He closed with a 70 and finished 12th.
The 5-wood turned out to be the winner for Thomas. The wedge made it possible.
Jack Nicklaus was in the broadcast booth for most of the final round, leaving before Thomas and List reached the 18th hole. It all might have looked familiar to Nicklaus, the U.S. captain of the 1983 Ryder Cup at PGA National. The big moment that year was Lanny Wadkins nearly jarring a wedge on the 18th hole, a shot so meaningful to the outcome that Nicklaus kissed the divot.
Thomas missed the 18th fairway in regulation and had to lay up. List followed with his 4-iron to 35 feet.
Thomas and List finished at 8-under 272, the seventh playoff in 15 tour events this season. LPGA: Florida’s Jessica Korda set a tournament record to win the LPGA Thailand at the Siam Country Club Pattaya Old Course in Chonburi. Korda held off Lexi Thompson and local hope Moriya Jutanugarn for a four-stroke win after a final-round 67 for an overall total of 25-under 263, smashing the previous mark of 22-under set by Amy Yang of South Korea in 2017. European Tour: Eddie Pepperell survived a tense finish to close with a 2-under 70 and win the Qatar Masters for his first European Tour title. The 27year-old Englishman held off Oliver Fisher at Doha Golf Club. Fisher (71) needed a third successive birdie on the 18th hole to force a playoff, but had his putt from 6 feet slip past the hole. Pepperell finished at 18-under 270.