Back-nine birdies lift Thomas to PGA title

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina: Two spectacular birdies in the last six holes brought Justin Thomas his first major title, the 14th-ranked American taking the PGA Championship on Sunday in a back-nine shootout thriller.

On a day that saw five players share the lead at one stage, Thomas fired a three-under par 68 to finish 72 holes on eight-under par 276 for a two-stroke victory over Louis Oosthuizen, Francesco Molinari and American Patrick Reed.

Thomas rolled in an amazing 40-foot chip shot at the par-3 13th for a two-stroke lead and curled a 14-foot putt into the left side of the cup to birdie the par-3 17th for a three-shot edge, making a closing bogey all but irrelevant.

Hideki Matsuyama led at the turn but had five bogeys and three birdies on the back nine to share fifth with US star Rickie Fowler on 279. Canada’s Graham DeLaet and 54-hole leader Kevin Kisner were another shot back.

Thomas sandwiched a birdie between two bogeys on the first three holes, but bounced back with birdies at seven, nine and 10 — the last after his putt hung on the edge of the cup for nearly 10 seconds before falling in.

One by one, rivals fell aside, the last being compatriot Kisner, whose 209-yard eagle longshot from the 18th fairway to force a playoff landed in a creek.

Matsuyama sank a 22-foot birdie putt at the par-5 10th but made bogeys on the next three holes, responded with two birdies, then missed a four-foot par putt to bogey 16 and closed with another to fall back.

Oosthuizen, the only major winner among the contenders after his 2010 British Open triumph, holed a 34-yard chip shot eagle at the par-5 15th but followed with a bogey to blunt the impact of his closing birdie.

Tension mounted as Matsuyama, Molinari, Kisner, Thomas and Stroud all shared the lead at seven-under at one stage. Kisner lipped out a six-foot par putt at 11 to fall back, his first miss inside seven feet all week after 53 such putts.

Stroud missed from the same distance for par moments later, his first off-target putt from so close as well.Molinari charged into the hunt with four birdies in a five-hole stretch ending at 15 but a bogey at 16 and two closing pars was not enough.Reed made four birdies in five holes on the front nine, added another at 10 and birdied 14 and 15th to reach seven-under but a closing bogey doomed his hopes.