Justin Thomas won the 2017 PGA Tour ‘Hawaiian Swing’ double smashing the 72-hole score in PGA TOUR history.
Thomas capped off his wonderful week at Waialae that began with a 59 but on the par 70 layout and ended when the American calmly two-putted birdie from 60 feet on the par-5 18th and closed with a 5-under 65 to set the record at 253.
Tommy Armour III shot 254 at the 2003 Texas Open, and also on a par 70 layout and with Armour also storming to a seven-shot triumph.
“It’s been an unbelievable week. Unforgettable,” said Thomas.
The 23-year-old from Kentucky won the SBS Tournament of Champions at Kapalua last week by three shots, then destroyed the full field at the Sony Open to win by seven shots. Thomas is the first player since Tiger Woods in 2009 (Buick Open and Bridgestone Invitational) to win back-to-back weeks by three shots or more.
Justin Thomas breaks the Tour’s 72-hole record in winning the Sony Hawaiian Open. (Photo – www.pgatour.com)
And to keep the record straight, Thomas is the first to win back-to-back since Ernie Els won the 2010 Arnold Palmer Invitational and the WGC – CA Championship.
“I felt like I was trying to win a tournament for second place,” Jordan Spieth said, summing up the helpless feeling of everyone.
That honour went to Justin Rose, who closed with a 64 to finish alone in second. Spieth shot a 63 to finish alone in third.
Thomas began the final round with a seven-shot lead and no one got closer than five shots all day. His only nervous moment was an 8-foot par putt on the sixth hole when he was five shots ahead. He made that, and the rest of the day was a Pacific breeze.
Thomas joined Ernie Els in 2003 as the only players to sweep Hawaii, and this performance might have been even better. Thomas was 49-under par for his two weeks, compared with Els at 47 under.
Thomas joined Johnny Miller (1974 and 1975) and Tiger Woods (2003, 2008, 2013) as the only players since 1970 to win three of the their first five starts in a PGA TOUR season, and after Thomas won the CIMB Classic in Malaysia last October and at the start of the 2016/17 wraparound schedule.
“He’s got full control of his game, full confidence, and he’s executing under pressure,” Spieth said. “It’s a lot of fun to see. Certainly stuff that myself and a lot of our peers have seen going back almost 10 years now. He’s certainly showing the world what he’s capable of.”
History had been on Thomas’ side in teeing up on the final day as no player ever lost a seven-shot lead in the final round of a PGA TOUR event.
However question marks must be raised concerning the set-up of the course as it was more akin to throwing darts and the Hawaiian course there for the taking.
Thomas kick-started his week to become the eighth member of the PGA Tour’s ‘Mr. 59 Club before setting a new Tour 36-hole low on Friday.
And after heading to Hawaii a fortnight ago as the World No. 21 and then in capturing the SBS Tournament of Champions he jumped nine spots to No. 12 and now heads to a well-earned break as the new World No. 8.
