'Awesome' Thomas dispels doubts

TULSA (Oklahoma) • The dominant storyline before this year's PGA Championship revolved around Phil Mickelson, who chose not to defend his title.

Then the focus of the Major shifted to Tiger Woods, who arrived at Southern Hills to resume his stirring comeback from injuries he suffered in a horrific car crash 15 months ago.

But the former world No. 1 withdrew before Sunday's final round after struggling physically.

What evolved instead on the last day was a glimpse of golf's youthful future, not its ageing past.

There was yet another dramatic showdown between the hard-swinging 20-somethings who have overtaken the game.

In a taut, three-hole aggregate play-off after the fourth round ended in a tie, Justin Thomas held off rising star Will Zalatoris to win his second PGA Championship, five years after his maiden Major.

The new world No. 5 was seven shots back at the start of the final round, but capped a brilliant comeback with a three-under 67 and seized his chance in the play-off.

The 29-year-old birdied the first two holes before clinching the Wanamaker Trophy with a tap-in par on the 18th to beat fellow American Zalatoris (71) by one.

Mito Pereira, 27, who had been hoping to become the first Chilean to win a Major, blew a one-shot lead on the final hole, finishing with a disastrous 75 and a 276 total for a share of third alongside American Cameron Young (71).

After carding a four-over 74 on Saturday, Thomas revealed his caddie Jim "Bones" Mackay had put him back on track for the final day.

"I wouldn't be standing here if he didn't give me that talk," he said. "I just needed to let some steam out. I felt like I'd played terrible. And he was just like, 'Dude, you've got to stop being so hard on yourself.'

"It's a hard golf course. It's a Major. You don't have to be perfect. Just keep staying positive so that good stuff can happen. I left here in an awesome frame of mind."

Still, he had written off his chances going into the final round, but his belief grew as his rivals wilted under pressure.

Despite matching the greatest last-round victory comeback in PGA Championship history, the seven-stroke rally by John Mahaffey in 1978 at Oakmont, he did wonder if he could ever replicate his first Major triumph.

"Five years is a long time," he said. "I just haven't had the trophies to show and I'd fallen in the world rankings... I'm on top of the golfing world right now and I'm very, very proud of that."

Woods, 46, was quick to offer his congratulations, tweeting: "He kept himself in this championship until the very end and once he got his shot, he didn't look back."

Thomas joked he hoped his close friend would stop ribbing him now that he had his second Major. "I only have like 150 other things to do that he's done to where he can stop giving me grief," he added.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, NYTIMES