PGA Championship: Justin Thomas holds nerve to claim two-shot win




Thomas was one of five players tied for the lead midway through the round, but he broke clear of the pack as his rivals faltered and, after a pivotal chip-in for birdie at the 13th, he went two clear of long-time leader Kevin Kisner with a brilliant two at the tough 17th.

Hideki Matsuyama looked on course to become the first male Japanese major champion until he made three consecutive bogeys on the back nine, while overnight leader Kisner and playing-partner Chris Stroud made bad mistakes at crucial times.

Late challenges from Patrick Reed and Francesco Molinari came up short as the infamous "Green Mile" again claimed a number of victims, and Thomas had the luxury of needing only a bogey at the last to secure the title with a closing 68 for a winning score of eight under par.


Thomas appeared to be too far back to challenge when he bogeyed two of the first three holes either side of a birdie at the second, but he got back on track with a birdie at the long seventh and got under par for the day when he holed a huge-breaking 35-foot putt for birdie at the ninth.

He enjoyed two slices of good fortune at the 10th when, after his pulled drive cannoned off a tree and back into the middle of the fairway, his birdie putt from the rear of the green moments later hung on the lip before dropping as he headed towards his ball to tap in.

The young American atoned for a blocked tee shot to the 13th with a sublime pitch-in for an unlikely two which gave him the outright lead, which he preserved with a clutch up-and-down from sand to salvage a battling par at 16 before he knocked a bold tee shot to 15 feet at the penultimate hole.

Thomas got the putt to drop in the side of the hole, although he did not make it easy for himself at the last as he pushed his drive into the thick rough and could not reach the putting surface with his second, but he pitched safely to the heart of the green and two-putted for bogey safe in the knowledge that he had enough of an advantage over the final group.

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