Justin Thomas produced a record-equalling fightback to win the US PGA Championship at Southern Hills on a play-off.
Chile’s Mito Pereira seemed set to stun the sphere and win his first main title however double-bogeyed the 18th after hitting his tee shot right into a creek.
Pereira’s capitulation opened the door to his rivals and Thomas posted a three-under 67 to complete on 5 below and drive a play-off with fellow American Will Zalatoris.
Thomas, who additionally received this occasion in 2017, prevailed within the three-hole shootout, making a birdie on the seventeenth to say his second main.
Having trailed by seven pictures at the beginning of the ultimate spherical, Thomas’ victory noticed him equal the document for the largest comeback win in a significant, with John Mahaffey beforehand holding the document following his 1978 US PGA victory.
‘It was a weird day,’ mentioned Thomas. ‘Bones [Thomas’ caddie] did an unbelievable job of simply maintaining me within the second. We simply tried to play the golf course for what it's.
‘It’s humorous, I used to be requested earlier within the week about what lead is secure, and I mentioned, “no lead”. This place is so robust. However when you hit the fairways you may make birdies and I stayed so affected person, I simply couldn’t consider I discovered myself in a play-off.’
England’s Tommy Fleetwood and Matt Fitzpatrick completed three below, two pictures off the lead, whereas Northern Eire’s Rory McIlroy was eighth on two below.
In a single day chief Pereira, ranked one hundredth on the planet, would have turn out to be Chile’s first main winner however blew his probabilities on the 18th.
‘I don’t know what occurred. I assumed I hit it actually good,’ mentioned the 27-year-old. ‘On Monday, I simply wished to make the lower. On Sunday, I simply wished to win.’
Zalatoris – who was overwhelmed by Thomas within the play-off – added: ‘I’ve been knocking on the door in these majors for a short while and one’s going to return quickly.
‘To return up one brief, it stings, however I do know we’re going to get one quickly.’
In the meantime, Englishman Fitzpatrick admitted his failure to win the PGA Championship was ‘robust to take’ as he carded 73 within the last spherical to fall out of competition.
A level-par 70 would have seen Fitzpatrick submit six below and raise the trophy however he struggled on Sunday, ending joint-fourth.
‘It’s robust to take,’ he mentioned. ‘I simply didn’t hit very properly, wasn’t a very good day.
‘It’s disappointing realizing that you just’re two pictures exterior of a play-off and you are feeling such as you’ve acquired the sport to make the play-off and go on to win.
‘I shoot stage par and I win it outright. If somebody had mentioned that earlier than the spherical, I’d have totally ready myself to do this. your goal and get it round. It wasn’t the day that I wished and it's what it's sadly.’
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