Justin Thomas, after spending more than 1,000 days between the victories, beat Andrew Novak in the playoff series at Harbor Town on Sunday afternoon. (Images Andrew Redington / Getty)
(Andraw Redington Vitty Images)
Finally, Justin Thomas' victories sequence is over.
Thomas, after spending almost three full years without a victory, beat Andrew Novak in the playoff series at the RBC legacy on Sunday afternoon. The victory at Harbor Town at Hilton Head, in South Carolina, was the first of Thomas everywhere since her victory in the PGA championship in 2022.
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Naturally, after Thomas sank a Birdie Putt of 21 feet on the first playoff series to seal his victory, a massive celebration entered green.
“Winning is difficult. It's really, really difficult,” said Thomas emotional on CBS. “I worked my buttocks and I stayed patient, I stayed positive. I have a big wife, a big team, I have a big girl … Take it for granted sometimes when you get these races. I did not know how much I failed. Battling there today was so fun.”
Thomas and Novak had to leave to replay the 18th on Sunday evening after Novak missed what was an excellent opportunity to win his first PGA Tour victory. Novak, with Thomas already in the clubhouse in front of him after a 68 without Bogey, had an 8 feet for the peer. But he sent the putt well to the left of the cup and did not give him a chance.
Then in playoffs, Novak almost missed green entirely with its approach shot. It left him a very long birdie look, which he ended up for two strokes for the peer. Thomas, however, struck his Birdie Putt to close it right away.
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Thomas was almost perfect all week. He opened the signature event with a 61 Thursday, which corresponded to the record for the Harbor Town course. It was his 14th round of 62 or better on tour since 2015, which is the most anyone in the League.
He then posted 69 consecutive backs to enter on Sunday just one shot, which would not have happened if he had not been touched by a penalty with a waste zone in which he landed then accidentally moved the ball. He also tried to hit the ball out of the shameless muddy water on his new back on Saturday, which did not work well for him.
Thomas then carded his 68 on Sunday to expect it with Novak playing behind him in the final group. Thomas finally took the lead in solo after having pulled a 24-foot stewed putt in the 15th par-5, which was his third birdie of the day.
While Novak has Birda the 16th with a deep putt to match Thomas at 17 sous, Novak missed his winning putt in the last hole after Thomas was exceeded before him. This sent them to the playoffs, where Thomas closed his victory and obtained a check for $ 3.6 million.
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Novak entered this week at No. 62 in the official ranking of world golf. He had only two top 10 all season, including during his last departure with a T3 race at the Valero Texas Open earlier this month, although he missed six cuts in 12 departures. The 30 -year -old almost won his inaugural victory in the Bermuda championship last fall, but he finished second after even shooting the peer during his last round. It was his first playoff series.
Thomas is now in the company of an elite on the PGA Tour with his victory. He is one of the seven players, including Tiger Woods and Rory McILroy, who won at least 16 times on tour with several major championships in his name since 1960, Via the Ray of Justin from athletics. Thomas' sequence without victory did not look like something that he had to face the start of his professional golf career. He won five times during the 2016-17 season, including his first major title in the PGA championship, then he won at least once in the next five seasons – including in the players' championship and another PGA championship. He won his second major in playoffs on Will Zalatoris 1,064 days ago.
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Thomas has painfully won in recent years. He had six TOP-10 on tour last season, including a finalist in the Zozo championship, and he also entered this week with a pair of finalists this season. Thomas finished second at the American Express in January, then again at the Valspar championship in March. He did not miss a single cup in 10 departures this season, and he has just finished T36 in Augusta National last week.
“I would say that the majority of this has just pressed and try too hard,” said Thomas after the round of his drought without Friday victory. “I think it's just something I have the impression of doing it, so well there for a few years, it is that I just let the tournaments come to me and I just trusted my abilities.
“It's just my key this week, it's that I just try to really trust my game and get involved in what I do. I have a lot of faith and confidence in what I can do. So I need to let it happen.”
Although it took playoffs to remove it, Thomas did that exactly.
