Starting the day 2 shots off the lead and behind three other players, Justin Thomas seemed somewhat of an afterthought as the final round of the 2017 PGA Championship got underway.
That, ladies and gentleman, is why they play the game.
After an up and down start to the round, Thomas caught fire as he prepared to make the turn. After bogeys at seven and nine, JT was right in the mix as he made the turn.
Then the 10th hole happened.
They say there is a little bit of luck in every championship performance. The 10th hole for Justin Thomas was the moment when everything changed in the tournament, and some, including myself, felt that he had ultimately won it.
After a tee shot that looked to be way off line got a lucky bounce back into the fairway, Thomas hit his second onto the green. What happened after that was something that will be synonymous with his title for years to come.
We might look back at this as the break that won the event pic.twitter.com/uihavE8MIG
— Dan Hauser (@DanHauserGolf) August 13, 2017
Thomas never trailed after that putt. He kept the momentum going at 13 with a chip in for birdie.
Two-shot lead!
JT chips in at 12 to move to 8-under #PGAChamp Watch LIVE: https://t.co/mT5mpu9yEU pic.twitter.com/X9p4jECtG5
— PGA of America (@PGA) August 13, 2017
A birdie putt on 17 extended the lead and pretty much put everyone else out of reach. Patrick Reed, Louis Oosthuizen, Hideki Matsuyama, Chris Stroud, and Kevin Kisner all made runs at different points, and all fell short.
For Thomas, not only does it cap off a historical season, the win comes with a little extra significance.
JT already had a 59 earlier the year in Hawaii and a record tying 63 at the U.S. Open. The PGA Championship might just mean a little more, and not just because it is a major. Both Justin’s father and grandfather are PGA Teaching Professionals and taught him the game all the way back when he was a young boy.
“My dad (was) here and my grandpa was watching at home,” Thomas said. “It’s just a great win for the family and a moment none of us will ever forget”
