Justin Thomas claims Sentry Tournament of Champions after playoff win

Justin Thomas won a dramatic playoff in Hawaii to win the Sentry Tournament of Champions.

06 Jan 2020

Justin Thomas claims Sentry Tournament of Champions after playoff win

Justin Thomas won the 12th PGA Tour title of his career on Sunday, claiming the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Hawaii after he defeated Xander Schauffele and Patrick Reed in a playoff.

Thomas was in cruise control, holding a two-shot lead with just three holes to play, but two late bogeys on the Plantation Course gave JT a final score of four-under par, leaving hin on 14 under for the tournament, level with defending champion Xander Schauffele and Patrick Reed.

Schauffele, who missed a putt to win the tournament on the 18th, was eliminated from the three-man playoff at the first hole, with Thomas and Reed both making birdie and Schauffele could only answer with a par.

The win for Thomas was his second at the Tournament of Champions, having previously won the event in 2017. Thomas now has 12 PGA Tour titles to his name at just 26 years of age and no player under 30 has more wins than the American.

Thomas started Sunday's final round just one shot off the lead and found himself level par through the first seven holes, after a birdie at the fifth was cancelled out by a bogey at the seventh.

The 26-year-old then went on to make four consecutive birdies from eight through to 11, before making back-to-back birdies at 14 and 15 to take the lead.

Schauffele who was looking to defend his title in Hawaii, made three birdies in a row from the 13th and got within touching distance when Thomas made a bogey at 16, while Reed set the clubhouse target with a score of 66, the best round of the day.

The three players went back down the 18th in the first playoff hole, where Schauffele was eliminated after he failed to match the birdies made by Thomas and Reed.

Thomas and Reed both made a par at the second playoff hole and at the third time of asking, JT knocked in a short birdie putt while Reed could only par, handing the victory to Thomas.

Patrick Cantlay took solo fourth, while Rickie Fowler and Joaquin Niemann took a share of fifth place.

Shot of the Day

GolfMagic's shot of the day on Sunday goes to Patrick Reed. The Presidents Cup supervillain found himself in the rough at the third hole after his second shot went a little wild, with many players struggling with the strong winds in Hawaii. Reed made a very difficult shot look easy, flipping his wedge high in the air and landing it perfectly, before it rolled into the hole.