PGA TOUR
PGA Championship
Thomas Scores Comeback PGA Championship Win
Justin Thomas outlasted Will Zalatoris to win the 104th PGA Championship in a playoff at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Thomas claimed the unlikely victory after starting the final round seven shots off the lead. He joined John Mahaffey (1978) with the largest comeback win in PGA Championship history. The victory was JT’s second major title and second Wanamaker Trophy after winning the PGA Championship in 2017. Thomas covered the three-hole aggregate playoff in a 2-under tally. Zalatoris was 1-under. The last playoff at the PGA Championship was in 2011 when Keegan Bradley defeated Jason Dufner at the Atlanta Athletic Club.
Thomas produced his 17th PGA Tour title after firing rounds of 67, 67, 74 and 67 to finish at 5-under. The former world No. 1 found himself at 1-over for the round and a massive eight shots off the lead through six holes. The 29-year-old closed out his Sunday with four unanswered birdies during his final 12 holes in regulation play. Thomas then played the three extra holes in birdie, birdie and a par to secure the stunning come-from-behind victory.
Zalatoris was searching for his maiden PGA Tour win. The 25-year-old Californian star-in-the-making signed for a final round 1-over 71. Zalatoris owns five top 10s from his eight major appearances including runner up in this event and at The Masters (2021).
PGA Tour rookies Chile’s Mito Pereira and America’s Cameron Young finished at 4-under and in a tie for third place. Pereira was hoping to become the first player from Chile to win a major title. The 27-year-old took a three-shot lead into the final round. Pereira stood over his final tee shot needing a par to win. Only two out of seven previous major winners at Southern Hills managed a par at the 72nd hole with the others making a bogey or worse. Pereira blew his chance to join Collin Morikawa by winning the PGA Championship in his maiden attempt with a double-bogey finish after finding the water hazard off the tee. Pereira shot a final round 5-over 75. Young, aged 25, has scored three runner-up finishes this season on the PGA Tour. Young produced a final round 71.
England’s Tommy Fleetwood (67) and Matt Fitzpatrick (73) were joined by America’s Chris Kirk (68) at 3-under and in a share of fifth place.
In 1947, Jim Ferrier won the PGA Championship to become the first Australian to win a major title. Eight payers from ‘Down Under’ were hoping to emulate Ferrier’s feat 75 years ago. Cameron Smith and Lucas Herbert were the best-placed Australians finishing in a tie for 13th place at even par. Smith, who pocketed two wins this season including THE PLAYERS Championship in March, posted rounds of 68, 70, 73 and 69. Herbert was in contention for a top-5 finish mid-way through the final round when he got to 3-under for the event after 10 holes. The 26-year-old from Bendigo dropped five shots in six holes before making a birdie, birdie finish to close out with a 71.
Tiger Woods contested just his second tournament of the year in his comeback from serious injuries suffered during a car accident in early 2021. The 15-time major winner won the 2007 PGA Championships when it was last played at Southern Hills. Woods made the cut with opening rounds of 74 and 69. However, the former world No. 1 withdrew from the event after his third round 79. It was his highest ever score at a PGA Championship eclipsing the 77 he shot in the opening round of the 2011 PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler was unable to qualify for the weekend in his bid for back-to-back major. The Masters champion carded rounds of 71 and 75 (+6) to miss the cut by two shots.
The PGA Tour moves to Texas for the Charles Schwab Challenge staged at Colonial Country Club. America’s Jason Kokrak is the defending champion.
Final Scores
PGA Championship
1. Justin Thomas -5
2. Will Zalatoris -5
T3. Mito Pereira -4
T3. Cameron Young -4
T5. Matt Fitzpatrick -3
T5. Tommy Fleetwood -3
T5. Chris Kirk -3
8. Rory McIlroy -2
Australians
T13. Cameron Smith E
T13. Lucas Herbert E
T34. Marc Leishman +4
T48. Cam Davis +6
T55. Jason Day +8
MC. Min Woo Lee
MC. Matt Jones
MC. Adam Scott
Photo credit: Andrew Redington/Getty Images
