Thomas wins RBC Heritage, ending 3-year drought

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — Justin Thomas had yet one more hurdle to show his recreation was again the place he felt it belonged, and he cleared it Sunday within the RBC Heritage with the longest putt he ever made to win.

Strolling as much as the 18th inexperienced at Harbour City in a playoff with Andrew Novak, Thomas remarked to fill-in caddie Joe Greiner that he had by no means made a putt of any size to win on the ultimate gap. He had simply exterior 20 ft.

The putt was so pure, Thomas dropped his putter earlier than the ball disappeared into the cup, setting off a joyous celebration at ending almost three years and not using a win.

“That was fairly cool,” he mentioned. “That was as enjoyable as I believed it could be.”

Thomas performed bogey-free in dry, quick situations on a course that demanded precision, making a 25-foot birdie putt on the sixteenth gap and shutting with a 3-under 68.

Possibly probably the most nervous second got here within the scoring trailer as Thomas watched Novak stand over an 8-foot putt for the win. The birdie putt was left all the best way, and Novak — who made a giant birdie of his personal on the sixteenth — had a 68 to affix Thomas at 17-under 267.

Within the playoff, Novak missed from simply inside 35 ft, setting the stage for Thomas. He felt pure pleasure as he regarded round on the packed grandstands on one aspect, the Calibogue Sound on one other and his household cheering him on behind the 18th inexperienced.

“I did not notice how a lot I missed successful,” Thomas mentioned on the 18th inexperienced as he stood subsequent to spouse, Jill, and 5-month-old daughter, Molly.

His earlier win was the PGA Championship at Southern Hills in Might 2022. His recreation slipped. He missed the FedEx Cup playoffs for the primary time in 2023, and he was left off the Presidents Cup crew a 12 months in the past.

His recreation was again so as — he cracked the highest 10 once more — and wanted solely a victory to substantiate his place again among the many elite.

“I feel it was the very last thing lacking, if you’ll,” Thomas mentioned. “It is onerous to say, as a result of clearly careers are so lengthy and there is a lot up and down and plenty happening that you simply by no means know what level of your profession you are at till it is over.

“Not less than for me, I felt prefer it was the very last thing that I wanted to do for my very own well-being.”

Novak was a runner-up in Bermuda final fall. He was proper there at Torrey Pines within the Farmers Insurance coverage Open. He was within the combine on the Valero Texas Open. And this regarded prefer it may be his second to interrupt via, till Thomas refused to be denied.

“I am not as pissed off as I believed I might be,” Novak mentioned. “I really feel like I did plenty of good issues. I am fairly happy with placing myself in that place after I actually felt like I wasn’t swinging it that nice this week.

“I believed I used to be a bit of extra comfy down the stretch than perhaps I’ve been prior to now. Justin simply went out and gained it. There’s nothing you may actually do about it.”

Thomas gained for the sixteenth time on the PGA Tour and moved to No. 6 on the earth. He additionally jumped into the highest six within the Ryder Cup standings.

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Thomas and Novak pulled away in the midst of the spherical from a good leaderboard — a four-way tie at one level, as they have been joined by 54-hole chief Si Woo Kim and Maverick McNealy.

Daniel Berger closed with a 65 to tie for third with McNealy (70), Mackenzie Hughes (67) and Brian Harman (69).

Defending champion Scottie Scheffler even received in on the act, simply briefly. He began 4 photographs behind and was even for the spherical via eight holes. However he ran off three birdies in a four-hole stretch across the flip to tug inside two.

Scheffler was operating out of holes when he took on a high-risk shot needing eagle to have a legit probability. That discovered the water, resulting in double bogey. He nonetheless shot 70 and tied for eighth, his third straight top-10 whereas contending into the ultimate hour.

“I feel I am actually shut,” Scheffler mentioned. “I really feel like I did plenty of issues nicely this week, just some of the vital photographs I simply did not pull off. Outdoors of that, it was a fairly strong week.”

Thomas gained the match with a birdie in a playoff. He saved his probabilities towards the tip of the entrance 9 when he made 5 straight putts beginning on the fourth gap — 8 ft for par, 7 ft for birdie, 7 ft for par, 8 ft for par and simply inside 15 ft for birdie on No. 8, the place he took on the timber with a 7-iron to present himself an opportunity.

Novak had tree hassle and battled away, getting a number of good bounces and a outstanding par save from a sandy lie amid a forest on No. 11.

He strikes excessive sufficient on the earth rating — inside the highest 35 — that he ought to be a lock for the U.S. Open and now wants to remain within the high 50 over the following month for The Open.