Justin Thomas wins €3.1 million in Rory McIlroy's absence as he ends PGA drought
The two-time major champ hadn't tasted victory since 2022, but he's now ended a drought of 1064 days.
The US golfer, whose last big win was at the PGA Championship in 2022, had been finding it tough to leave a mark until he clinched this latest title after a playoff.
Thomas' win at Harbour Town in Hilton Head, South Carolina, was nothing short of thrilling, with the golfer nailing a 21-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole to grab the win.
That earned the 31-year-old a hefty €3.1 million. He was in good form throughout the event - beginning with a 61 on Thursday. That matched the Harbour Town course record. Thomas then posted back-to-back 69s to enter Sunday just a shot back going into the final round.
Thomas said on CBS: "Winning's hard. It's really, really hard. I've worked my butt off and stayed patient, stayed positive. I've got a great wife, great team, have a great daughter ... Just take it for granted sometimes when you get on those runs. I didn't realise how much I missed winning. Battling out there today was just so much fun."
He went on to add: "It's so hard to force the issue on a course like this. It's so fast and so much fun to play. I'm really proud of myself. I've never made a putt to win a tournament before, of length. Been fortunate to have a lot of tap-ins but that was pretty cool. It wasn't as fun as much as I thought it would be."
Thomas is a previous world No 1, topping the rankings in 2018, and alongside his two major successes has also won the prestigious Players Championship at Sawgrass.
Rory McIlroy, fresh from winning the Masters, chose to bypass the tournament and will return at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans next week. It means he will fulfil a promise to Shane Lowry that he'll be on the green to defend their title.
After completing the Grand Slam at Augusta the 35-year-old opted for some quality time with his family in Northern Ireland. He had already hinted last November that he might cut the event from his calendar, regardless of whether or not he emerged victorious at August.
Lowry didn't want to put any pressure on McIlroy after his epic triumph at the Masters but has revealed that McIlroy is raring to get back in the swing of things. "We'll be there," he confirmed to Golf Week. "I talked to him [on Wednesday] morning. We're good to go."
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