Apr 20, 2025, 07:22 PM ET
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — Justin Thomas had yet one more hurdle to end up his recreation was once 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 The 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 duration to win at the ultimate gap. He had simply out of doors 20 ft.
The putt was once so natural, Thomas dropped his putter sooner than the ball disappeared into the cup, atmosphere off a joyous birthday celebration at finishing just about 3 years with out a win.
“That was once beautiful cool,” he stated. “That was once as a laugh as I assumed it might be.”
Thomas performed bogey-free in dry, speedy prerequisites on a route that demanded precision, creating a 25-foot birdie putt at the sixteenth gap and shutting with a 3-under 68.
“I did not understand how a lot I overlooked successful,” Justin Thomas stated at the 18th inexperienced as he stood subsequent to spouse, Jill, and 5-month-old daughter, Molly. Mike Stewart/AP
Possibly essentially the most apprehensive second got here within the scoring trailer as Thomas watched Novak stand over an 8-foot putt for the win. The birdie putt was once left all of the approach, and Novak — who made a giant birdie of his personal at the sixteenth — had a 68 to enroll in Thomas at 17-under 267.
Within the playoff, Novak overlooked from simply within 35 ft, atmosphere the degree for Thomas. He felt natural pleasure as he seemed round on the packed grandstands on one aspect, the Calibogue Sound on every other and his circle of relatives cheering him on in the back of the 18th inexperienced.
“I did not understand how a lot I overlooked successful,” Thomas stated at the 18th inexperienced as he stood subsequent to spouse, Jill, and 5-month-old daughter, Molly.
His earlier win was once the PGA Championship at Southern Hills in Would possibly 2022. His recreation slipped. He overlooked the FedEx Cup playoffs for the primary time in 2023, and he was once left off the Presidents Cup group a 12 months in the past.
His recreation was once again so as — he cracked the highest 10 once more — and wanted just a victory to verify his position again a few of the elite.
“I feel it was once the very last thing lacking, if you’re going to,” Thomas stated. “It is laborious to mention, as a result of clearly careers are goodbye and there may be such a lot up and down and a lot occurring that you simply by no means know what level of your profession you are at till it is over.
“No less than for me, I felt love it was once the very last thing that I had to do for my very own well-being.”
Novak was once a runner-up in Bermuda final fall. He was once proper there at Torrey Pines within the Farmers Insurance coverage Open. He was once within the combine on the Valero Texas Open. And this seemed love it could be his second to damage via, till Thomas refused to be denied.
“I am not as annoyed as I assumed I might be,” Novak stated. “I think like I did numerous excellent issues. I am beautiful happy with hanging myself in that place once I in reality felt like I wasn’t swinging it that fab this week.
“I assumed I used to be a bit of extra comfy down the stretch than perhaps I’ve been previously. Justin simply went out and received it. There may be not anything you’ll be able to in reality do about it.”
Thomas received for the sixteenth time at the PGA Excursion and moved to No. 6 on this planet. 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 had been joined by means of 54-hole chief Si Woo Kim and Maverick McNealy.
Daniel Berger closed with a 65 to tie for 3rd with McNealy (70), Mackenzie Hughes (67) and Brian Harman (69).
Protecting champion Scottie Scheffler even were given in at the act, simply in brief. He began 4 photographs in the back of and was once even for the spherical via 8 holes. However he ran off 3 birdies in a four-hole stretch across the flip to drag inside of two.
Scheffler was once operating out of holes when he took on a high-risk shot desiring eagle to have a valid probability. That discovered the water, resulting in double bogey. He nonetheless shot 70 and tied for 8th, his 3rd instantly top-10 whilst contending into the general hour.
“I feel I am in reality shut,” Scheffler stated. “I think like I did numerous issues properly this week, simply among the necessary photographs I simply did not pull off. Outdoor of that, it was once a horny forged week.”
Thomas received the match with a birdie in a playoff. He stored his probabilities towards the tip of the entrance 9 when he made 5 instantly putts beginning at the fourth gap — 8 ft for par, 7 ft for birdie, 7 ft for par, 8 ft for par and simply within 15 ft for birdie on No. 8, the place he took at the timber with a 7-iron to provide himself a possibility.
Novak had tree bother and battled away, getting a couple of excellent bounces and a exceptional par save from a sandy lie amid a wooded area on No. 11.
He strikes excessive sufficient on this planet score — throughout the peak 35 — that he will have to be a lock for the U.S. Open and now wishes to stick within the peak 50 over the following month for The Open.
