HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — Justin Thomas had yet another 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 toes.
The putt was so pure, Thomas dropped his putter earlier than the ball disappeared into the cup, setting off pure pleasure at ending practically three years with out a win.
“That was pretty cool,” he mentioned. “That was as fun as I thought it would be.”
Thomas performed bogey-free in dry, quick circumstances on a course that demanded precision, making a 25-foot birdie putt on the sixteenth gap and shutting with a 3-under 68.
Perhaps 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 an enormous birdie of his personal on the sixteenth — had a 68 to hitch him at 17-under 267.
Within the playoff, Novak missed from simply inside 35 toes, 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 didn’t realize how much I missed winning,” 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 Could of 2022. His recreation slipped and 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 verify his recreation was again among the many elite.
“I think it was the last thing missing, if you will,” Thomas mentioned. “It’s onerous to say, as a result of clearly careers are so lengthy and there’s a lot up and down and much occurring that you simply by no means know what level of your profession you’re at till it’s over.
“At least for me, I felt like it was the last thing that I needed to do for my 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 could be his second to interrupt by way of till Thomas refused to be denied.
“I’m not as frustrated as I thought I would be.” Novak mentioned. “I really feel like I did quite a lot of good issues. I’m fairly happy with placing myself in that place once I actually felt like I wasn’t swinging it that nice this week.
“I thought I was a little more comfortable down the stretch than maybe I have been in the past. Justin just went out and won it. There’s nothing you can really do about it.”
Thomas gained for the sixteenth time on the PGA Tour and moved to No. 6 on the earth. He additionally moved into the highest six within the Ryder Cup standings.
Thomas and Novak pulled away in the midst of the spherical from a good leaderboard — a four-way tie at one level as they had 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 by way of eight holes. However he ran off three birdies in a four-hole stretch across the flip to drag inside two.
Scheffler was working out of gap when he took on a high-risk shot needing eagle to have a reputable probability. That discovered the water, resulting in double bogey. He nonetheless shot 70 and tied for eighth, his third straight high 10 whereas contending into the ultimate hour.
“I think I’m really close,” Scheffler mentioned. “I feel like I did a lot of things well this week, just a few of the important shots I just didn’t pull off. Outside of that it was a pretty solid week.”
Thomas gained the event with a birdie in a playoff. He saved his possibilities towards the tip of the entrance 9 when he made 5 straight putts beginning on the fourth gap — 8 toes for par, 7 toes for birdie, 7 toes for par, 8 toes for par and simply inside 15 toes for birdie on No. 8, the place he took on the timber with a 7-iron to provide 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 amidst 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 the subsequent month for the British Open.
