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SPORTS Monday 26 February 2018
Thomas delivers clutch moments to win Honda in playoff

By DOUG FERGUSON the side of the collar of able to control it, especial-
AP Golf Writer a bunker, leaving him a ly in this wind, which is not
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. tough chip. He missed a easy to do."
(AP) — Justin Thomas was birdie chance from 20 feet. Woods led the field in prox-
down to his last chance Tiger Woods was briefly imity to the hole on his ap-
when he delivered his most within three shots of the proach shots at just over 29
clutch shot of the final lead on the front nine. He feet.
round in the Honda Classic. closed with a 70 and fin- Not to be overlooked was
Turns out he wasn't finished. ished 12th. Sam Burns of LSU, who last
Thomas nearly holed a gap The 5-wood turned out to year won the Jack Nicklaus
wedge on the par-5 18th be the winner for Thomas. Award as the top college
hole for a birdie to force a The wedge made it pos- player who received a
playoff with Luke List. Mo- sible. sponsor exemption. Playing
ments later, he hit 5-wood Jack Nicklaus was in the alongside Woods in such a
over the water, urged it to broadcast booth for most chaotic arena, he was bo- Justin Thomas holds up his trophy after winning the Honda Clas-
keep going and lost it mo- of the final round, leaving gey-free for a 68 to tie for sic golf tournament in a sudden-death playoff Sunday, Feb. 25,
mentarily in the darkening before Thomas and List eighth. That will get him into 2018, in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
sky over PGA National. reached the 18th hole. It the Valspar Championship Associated Press
"All I was looking at was the might have all looked fa- at Innisbrook in two weeks.
water to see if it splashed," miliar to Nicklaus, the U.S. Five players had at least of taking on the water. That three-putt bogey from long
Thomas said. "And it didn't. captain of the 1983 Ryder a share of the lead. Only led to the first of three bo- range on the 14th, and a
So I figured I was in the bun- Cup at PGA National. The three of them stuck around geys in a four-hole stretch bogey from the back bun-
ker, and then people start- big moment that year was until the end. and sent him to a 72, four ker on the 15th.
ed clapping and I could Lanny Wadkins nearly jar- Webb Simpson missed the shots behind. A birdie on the final hole
kind of see some little white ring a wedge on the 18th fairway on the 11th hole Tommy Fleetwood was for a 69 left him two shots
dot on the green." hole, a shot so meaningful and had to lay up instead tied for the lead until a behind.q
That set up a two-putt bird- to the outcome that Nick-
ie that made him a winner laus kissed the divot.
when List, who hit his own Thomas missed the 18th
bold shot in regulation to fairway in regulation and
the 18th to set up birdie, had no choice but to lay
could only manage par in up. List followed with his
the playoff. 4-iron to 35 feet.
Thomas closed with a 2-un- "I have a lot of confidence
der 68 and won for the in my wedge game," Thom-
second time this season. as said. "I knew if I got a de-
He also won in a playoff at cent number that I was go-
the CJ Cup in South Korea ing to be able to get inside
last fall. With eight career 10 feet. That's all I wanted
victories, including seven in was a chance to try to get
his last 31 starts on the PGA into a playoff. And then
Tour, he moved to No. 3 in ended up hitting a great
the world. He is one spot wedge."
ahead of longtime friend Thomas and List finished at
Jordan Spieth for the first 8-under 272. It was the sev-
time, which was of little sig- enth playoff in 15 PGA Tour
nificance to Thomas. events this season.
"Not really," he said. "Be- Woods made that Sunday
cause there's still two more red shirt look a little bright-
spots that I want to climb.' er, at least for a while. With
List, going for his first PGA an 8-foot birdie putt on
Tour victory, shot 32 on the par-4 eighth hole, he
the back nine and closed momentarily pulled within
with a 69. His only regret three shots of the lead. That
was a tee shot wide right only lasted the few minutes
in the playoff that landed that it took Thomas to tap in
amid palm trees and left for birdie on the par-5 third.
him little options. He went Woods made bogey to
left against the bleachers, close out his front nine,
and hit a superb approach and he still was four shots
to about 25 feet and two- behind until getting swal-
putted for par. lowed up again by the
"Obviously, it hurts right water-filled closing stretch.
now," List said. "But I think He put his tee shot into wa-
that when I look back on ter and made double bo-
it, I'll be proud of the way I gey for the second straight
hung in there." day, three-putted the 16th
Alex Noren (67) finished for bogey and was out of
third. He was tied for the hope.
lead when he went for the "I made a big leap this
green on the 18th, only for week because I really hit
the ball to hit hung up on it well," Woods said. "I was