Justin Thomas trailed chief Mito Pereira by seven shots heading into the last spherical-5 J Thomas (US)*, W Zalatoris (US); -4 M Pereira (Chi); -3 T Fleetwood (Eng), M Fitzpatrick (Eng), C Kirk (US); -2 R McIlroy (NI)Chosen: Level J Rose (Eng), T Hatton (Eng); +2 S Lowry (Ire); +3 B Watson (US); +4 J Spieth (US)denotes winner after three-gap play-offAmerican Justin Thomas staged a tale-equalling fightback earlier than beating Will Zalatoris in a play-off to glean the US PGA Championship at Southern Hills.
Thomas trailed by seven at the birth of the day but posted a three-below 67 to predicament the clubhouse target at five below.
Chile’s Mito Pereira looked predicament to glean a first major title but double-bogeyed the 18th after hitting his tee shot accurate into a creek to retain out at four below.
England’s Matt Fitzpatrick (73) and Tommy Fleetwood (67) ended three below.
Northern Eire’s Rory McIlroy, who led the match after a five-below-par 65 on the outlet day, closed with a 68 to retain out eighth at two below in Oklahoma.
Thomas used to be one over after six holes on Sunday but had four birdies in his last 10 holes to fire his manner to the tip of the leaderboard, with Zalatoris striking on to moreover elevate out on five below and capitalise on Pereira’s capitulation.
Nevertheless it used to be the world number nine who prevailed in the three-gap shootout, making a decisive birdie on the 17th to claim his 2nd major after moreover worthwhile this match in 2017.
“It used to be a abnormal day,” talked about Thomas, who equalled John Mahaffey’s tale of coming from seven in the support of to glean the 1978 US PGA title, moreover in a play-off, at Oakmont.
“Bones [Thomas’ caddie] did an improbable job of precise keeping me in the moment. We precise tried to play the golf course for what it is..
“Or no longer it’s droll, I used to be requested earlier in the week about what lead is safe, and I talked about, ‘no lead’. This whisper is so tricky. But in the occasion you hit the fairways that you just can have birdies and I stayed so affected person, I precise couldn’t deem I chanced on myself in a play-off.”
Pereira’s dreams tumble apartMito Pereira used to be hoping to modified into the principle South American to glean the Wanamaker TrophyThe nerve-shredding moments that will outline this major for Pereira came on the 17th green and 18th tee.
A birdie putt that would maintain handed him a two-shot lead going down the last pulled up a pair of centimetres quick earlier than his drive about a moments later chanced on water, finally sinking the world no 1 hundred’s hopes of turning into the principle Chilean to glean a prime title.
“I don’t know what took whisper. I believed I hit it in actuality loyal,” the 27-Three hundred and sixty five days-archaic talked about of his last tee shot. “On Monday, I precise wanted to have the decrease. On Sunday, I precise wanted to glean.”
As his ball used to be settling in the creek, Zalatoris used to be on the 18th green rolling in a gutsy par putt to compare Thomas on five below, whereas the previous champion accurate now headed to the riding vary in preparation for a play-off.
Pereira handiest made the switch from the PGA Tour’s feeder Korn Ferry Tour last summer season and his handiest elevate out of 2022 earlier than this match used to be a bit of 13th at last month’s Texas Birth, but he began the day with a three-stroke lead over Fitzpatrick on precise his 2nd major originate.
Zalatoris, moreover a relative newcomer but now with five top-10s in eight major starts, had wiped that out by the time he reached the sixth tee, handiest to bogey the tricky par-three gap in abnormal circumstances.
An errant tee shot led to a 15-minute discussion with a principles official over where to drop his ball and he at last made a amazing up-and-down from a cart route.
From there it turned a grind for the leaders, with Pereira precise about keeping his nostril in entrance despite Cameron Younger temporarily becoming a member of the lead and Thomas appearing on the horizon which potential that of his bogey-free support nine.
That used to be till the par-four 18th, where Pereira’s unravelling led to a six that saw him trail over out on the play-off, leaving Zalatoris and Thomas to scrap it out over three holes.
Each and each birdied the par-five 13th earlier than Thomas drove the green at the 302-yard 17th and two-putted for a birdie that Zalatoris will also no longer match, earlier than keeping his nerve with a par on the 18th to clinch his 2nd Wanamaker Trophy.
“I’ve been knocking on the door in these majors for a quick time and one’s going to conclude quickly,” talked about Zalatoris. “To conclude support up one quick, it stings, but I know we’re going to get one quickly.”
Fitzpatrick has an off dayFitzpatrick, playing in the last pairing, began the day with precise hope he’s going to also modified into the principle Englishman to glean this championship since Jim Barnes in 1919.
That used to be dampened when the 27-Three hundred and sixty five days-archaic bogeyed his opening gap and despite cancelling that out with a birdie at the fourth, he carried out himself out of the mix with further dropped shots at six, 10 and 11.
With those sooner than him toiling, Fitzpatrick greeted a birdie on the 15th with a gargantuan fist pump in the facts he used to be all over but again two strokes off the lead, precise for a bogey at 17 to abolish off his chances as the Yorkshireman signed for a three-over 73 that took him to about a below for the match.
“Or no longer it’s tricky to purchase,” talked about Fitzpatrick. “I precise didn’t hit very successfully, wasn’t a loyal day. Or no longer it’s disappointing colorful that which that you just can even be two shots outdoors of a play-off and you is also feeling similar to you maintain got got the sport to have the play-off and trail on to glean.
“I shoot stage par and I glean it outright. If any individual had talked about that earlier than the spherical, I would maintain fully ready myself to originate that. You know your target and get it spherical. It wasn’t the day that I wished and it is what it is unfortunately.”
Compatriot Fleetwood moreover done at three below and McIlroy used to be one further support but they left Southern Hills in very assorted moods – Fleetwood buoyant after five birdies in his last seven holes and asserting he used to be “ecstatic wherever I elevate out”, McIlroy rueing one other missed different.
McIlroy had ended spherical one with a one-stroke lead, bucking his most modern sort in majors of starting tiring, but the damage for the four-time major champion used to be done with a one-over 71 on Friday, followed by a 74 on Saturday.
When the world number seven holed four successive birdies from the 2nd, it looked fancy he’s going to also merely be placing collectively a identical last spherical to the one he compiled at the Masters in April, but that shuffle ended with a bogey at the par-three sixth – which he had double-bogeyed 24 hours earlier.
The 33-Three hundred and sixty five days-archaic failed to card one other birdie in a two-below 68 and left the course with out talking to the media.
Fleetwood, in the intervening time, made seven birdies in a final-day 67 that moreover incorporated four straight bogeys by the flip to climb accurate into a shock piece of fifth.