Justin Thomas made a very rare feat on Sunday by birdieing Andrew Novak only for his first title in almost three years after more than 20 feet in a putt at Harbour Town playoffs, the RBC Heritage. Thomas achieved a clean scorecard without making a single bogey, the course in dry fast conditions seeing him put for a 3-under 68. He made a 25-foot birdie putt at 16 that seemed to be the winning shot for him, only for South Carolina native Novak to join him, making an important birdie also for a 68.
For Novak, this miss would be the heartbreak of an 8-foot birdie on the 18th hole in his regulation, having had three really good tries to win in his last 14 tournaments. That tee shot was a generous placement for Thomas once Novak came up short of his putt just inside 35 feet for the victory. After a seemingly routine birdie, Thomas almost threw his putter to the ground before walking out to take it all in with both arms raised as if claiming what was long overdue: a victory that put his name in golf’s most prestigious ranks again.
His last championship victory was accomplished here in May 2022 at the Southern Hills with the PGA Championship. His form dipped ever since, taking him out of the FedExCup playoffs for the first time in 2023 and subsequently dropping off the Presidents Cup team a year earlier.
Both Thomas and Novak stood at 17-under at 267, three strokes clear of the next players. Novak was second in Bermuda last autumn, and he has been in contention at the Farmers Insurance Open and Valero Texas Open. This event looked to be his time for the win, barring an unassailable Thomas. “Winning’s hard. It’s really, really hard,” said Thomas, his voice thick with emotion. “I’ve worked my butt off and stayed patient, stayed positive.”
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