Thomas reclaims No. 1 ranking after Tour win in Memphis
Justin Thomas wants to make his second stint as No. 1 in the world last longer than the first time around.
“I hope so,” Thomas said Sunday after winning the FedEx St. Jude Invitational to take the No. 1 spot for the first time since June 2018. “I feel like I’m a better player, and I feel like I’m more complete of a golfer now than I was then.”
Thomas dueled defending champion Brooks Koepka down the final holes in Memphis, Tenn., sealing the World Golf Championship victory on the par-5 16th. Thomas took the lead for good with his second straight birdie, while Koepka bogeyed the hole.
Koepka pulled within a stroke with a 39-footer for birdie on No. 17. But Koepka put his tee shot into the water along the 18th fairway on his way to double bogey, allowing Thomas to finish up an easy par putt for what wound up a three-stroke victory.
Thomas closed with a 5-under 66 to finish at 13-under 267 and take the $10.5 million winner’s check for his 13th PGA Tour title. At 27, he became the third-youngest player since 1960 to reach 13 PGA Tour wins, trailing only Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus.
“I’ve been fortunate to have a good career so far, but I plan on playing out here for a long time and have a lot of things that I still want to accomplish,” Thomas said. “And every milestone and steppingstone is hopefully something that I can learn from and something that will help me even more in the long run.”
One sign of Thomas’ growth was this was the fifth time he rallied to win, and he matched his biggest comeback after starting the day four strokes back of third-round leader Brendon Todd. Thomas has three wins this season, two since the start of the year.
The last time Thomas was No. 1, he spent four weeks at the top of the ranking. He will supplant Jon Rahm, who became No. 1 after winning at Memorial two weeks ago and tied for 52nd this week.
Koepka finished with a 69 and tied for second with Phil Mickelson, Daniel Berger and Tom Lewis.
DALY, SINGH WITHDRAW >> John Daly and Vijay Singh were the latest players to withdraw from the PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park, making 12 players either exempt or offered invitations who have chosen not to play.
Daly, the surprise winner in 1991 at Crooked Stick when he began the week as the ninth, cited health concerns to the PGA of America. Singh, a two-time PGA champion at Sahalee in 1998 and Whistling Straits in 2004, cited an injury.
That makes five major champions who have withdrawn — Daly, Singh, Padraig Harrington, Y.E. Yang and Francesco Molinari.
WERENSKI RALLIES FOR VICTORY >>
Richy Werenski holed a flop shot from the 16th fairway for a five-point eagle and birdied the last for a onepoint victory over Troy Merritt on Sunday in the Barracuda Championship in Truckee.
Werenski won for the first time on the PGA Tour, scoring 13 points in the final round on Tahoe Mountain Club’s Old Greenwood Course — the first-time venue after 21 years at Montreux Golf and Country Club. The 28-year-old former Georgia Tech player won the event three years after losing to Chris Stroud on the second hole of a playoff.
FURYK VICTORIOUS IN FIRST START >>
Jim Furyk turned 50 when golf was shut down and made the most of it when the PGA Tour Champions returned, closing with a 4-under 68 to win the Ally
Challenge in Grand Blanc, Mich., when Brett Quigley (71) bogeyed his last two holes. Furyk became the first player since Miguel Angel Jimenez in 2014 to win in his first start on the 50-andolder circuit.
KANG WINS IN LPGA’S RETURN >> Danielle Kang closed with a 2-under 70 at Inverness Club and won the Drive On Championship in the first LPGA Tour event in more than five months. HORSFIELD WINS IN ENGLAND >> Sam Horsfield shot a final round 4-under 68 to win the Hero Open by one stroke in the European Tour’s stop in Birmingham, England.
Motorsports
KESELOWSKI GETS THIRD CUP WIN OF SEASON >> Brad Keselowski won at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for his third victory of the NASCAR season and 33rd of his career.
Keselowski and Denny Hamlin swapped stage wins and had the lead a combined 18 times before Keselowski, who is in a contract year for Team Penske, took the checkered flag 1.647 seconds ahead. After the victory, Keselowski grabbed a U.S. flag and spun his car around in front of a crowd that was masked and socially distanced for much of the race before crowding the fence to chant “Brad! “Brad!” at the winner.
“It’s so great to be racing back in front of fans again. It feels like forever, so welcome back, guys,” Keselowski said. “We’re just so glad to have them all back. It feels so weird to be racing without fans, but we’re glad you’re here. I hope you stay safe and thank you for being here.” HAMILTON WINS F1 RACE >> Lewis Hamilton held on to win the British Grand Prix despite a puncture on the last lap to clinch an 87th career win and move within four of Michael Schumacher’s Formula One record.
The championship leader’s recordextending seventh Silverstone win saw him finish 6 seconds ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
Colleges
ASU’S MARTIN RETURNING >> Arizona State guard Remy Martin withdrew from the NBA draft and will return for his senior season in the desert. A 6-foot guard, Martin is the Pac-12’s leading returning scorer after averaging 19.1 points in 2019-20.
Also, Big Ten player of the year Luka Garza announced he is withdrawing from the NBA draft and will return to Iowa for his senior season.