TULSA, Okla. — All day, Justin Thomas was mendacity in wait.
All day, Mito Pereira was main.
Thomas started the day seven photographs out of the lead. He was an afterthought. He figured to go as little as he might go and see what occurred.
The 104th PGA Championship was Pereira’s to lose.
And lose it Pereira did … till Thomas went and gained it.
In a shocking flip of occasions, the 27-year-old Chilean taking part in in solely his second profession main championship and who took a three-shot 54-hole lead into Sunday’s remaining spherical, had at the very least a bit of that lead all day … till he completed the 18th and remaining gap, the 72nd of the event.
Pereira, standing on the 18th tee with a one-shot lead over Justin Thomas and Will Zalatoris, pushed his tee shot into the creek that runs down the suitable aspect of the 18th fairway and took double bogey.
Immediately, he was accomplished, out of the event and Thomas and Zalatoris had been heading to the thirteenth tee for a three-hole mixture playoff — Nos. 13, 17 and 18.
All of it occurred so quick.
So, too, did the playoff, which Thomas gained because of birdies on the primary two holes of additional time, on 13 and 17, to seize his second profession main championship.
“It’s humorous, I used to be requested earlier within the week about what lead is protected and I stated, ‘No lead is protected,’ ’’ Thomas stated afterward. “This place is so robust. I stayed so affected person … I simply couldn’t consider I discovered myself in a playoff. I wasn’t leaderboards right this moment. I used to be simply attempting to play golf.’’
He shot 67, the bottom spherical anybody posted on Sunday.
When it was over, after Thomas two-putted for par on 18 and clinched victory, he appeared surprised as he hugged his caddie, Jim “Bones’’ Mackay, and clenched his eyes shut. He shook Zalatoris’ hand and shook his head, seeking to the sky and exhaling.
Then got here his dad and mom onto the inexperienced for hugs, after which his fiancée as the large crowds enveloping the 18th inexperienced sitting beneath the clubhouse with the skyline of Tulsa within the background chanted, “JT, JT, JT.’’
“It hasn’t sunk in simply but,’’ Thomas stated. “I used to be jittery and I nearly type of couldn’t really feel my limbs strolling as much as that tap-in on 18.’’
What a day. What a superbly weird day that broke out.
And what a disgrace for Pereira. You by no means want anybody to lose the best way he did.
Loopy issues have occurred on that Southern Hills 18th gap. Ask Stewart Cink. Within the 2001 U.S. Open, Cink missed an 18-inch putt on the 72nd gap that may have gotten him into an 18-hole Monday playoff that Retief Goosen would ultimately win over Mark Brooks.
“On 18, I wasn’t even fascinated by the water,’’ Pereira stated. “I simply wished to place it in play, and I assume I aimed too far proper. I simply hit within the water. Clearly unhappy to be right here and never within the playoff, not make par, simply straight win.’’
Pereira conceded to being “nervous’’ not solely on Sunday, however each day this week.
“I assumed I used to be nervous the primary day, then I assumed I used to be nervous the second day, then I assumed I used to be nervous on the third day, however the fourth day was horrible,’’ he stated. “I imply, this morning was robust. I simply performed it by means of, and truly had a one-shot lead on 18 and that was fairly good and unhappy to hit it within the water.’’
He stated he thought he hit that tee shot “low and straight,’’ including, “I’m actually assured with that one. I don’t know what occurred. I imply, I want I might do it once more.’’
There, in fact, are not any do-overs in golf. Ask Greg Norman. Ask Jean Van de Velde. Ask the lengthy record of gamers who’ve thrown away main championships after they appeared to have them in hand.
“It’s not how I wished to finish up this week, however actually good end result,’’ Pereira stated.
Zalatoris, a marvelously proficient participant who has all of it, walked away nonetheless in search of his first PGA Tour victory, although he’s had uncanny success in main championships already, having completed runner-up on the 2021 Masters.
“I can do it,’’ he stated. “Clearly, I’m fairly shut. I didn’t have my finest stuff [Saturday], which in the end was type of the distinction. I battled like loopy right this moment. I’m shut and I’m tremendous motivated, however we’ll get one quickly.’’
Thomas, in the meantime, has been poised so as to add one other main to the 2017 PGA he gained at Quail Hole.
“It was a weird day,’’ he stated. “I undoubtedly crossed one off the record. Bones did an unbelievable job of simply holding me within the second right this moment.’’
What a second it was.
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