RBC Heritage Champion Justin Thomas Ends 3-Year Title Drought

Justin Thomas celebrates his emotional victory.

On the way to the 18th green of the playoff, Justin Thomas told his caddie that he had never hit a long putt to win on the PGA Tour. Then he went up and holed the ball from 21 feet, making a birdie to beat Andrew Novak and win the 2025 RBC Heritage – his 16th career PGA Tour title.

Previously, Justin Thomas finished the final round at Harbour Town Golf Links, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina without any bogeys, shooting 68 strokes (-3), thereby achieving a total score of -17 after 72 holes (267 strokes).

Andrew Novak, seeking his first PGA Tour title, was a big favorite. He took a 16-under lead with a birdie chip from the edge of the green on the sixth hole, but lost the lead shortly after with a bogey on the seventh.

Novak tied the score with a birdie at hole 9. He was lucky several times when his shots at holes 12 and 13 bounced back into the fairway. After birdieing at hole 16 to tie Thomas at -17, Novak had a chance to win at hole 18 but missed his birdie putt from 8 feet.

Both golfers finished 18 holes with a result of 68 (-3), reaching a total score of -17, forcing a playoff to determine the winner. At the par-4 18th hole, Thomas and Novak both hit the fairway. From a further distance from the flag, Thomas hit an approach shot, hitting the ball 21 feet from the flag. After Novak failed to make a birdie putt, Thomas putted well to win.

The 31-year-old Kentucky native returns to the championship stage after nearly three years of waiting — 2 years, 10 months and 29 days, to be exact — since winning the 2022 PGA Championship at Southern Hills. “I really miss winning,” Thomas said.

Thomas won his first title after becoming a father.

In nearly three years without a championship, Thomas missed the 2023 FedEx Cup Playoffs and was not selected to the U.S. 2024 Presidents Cup team.

The RBC Heritage title marked Thomas’s first victory since becoming a father, and he joined the “elite ranks” of Arnold Palmer, Johnny Miller, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy – all of whom have won at least 16 PGA Tour titles and two majors before the age of 32.

Before winning the RBC Heritage, Thomas had come close to winning multiple times, with four top-three finishes, including two runner-up finishes this season. At the Valspar Championship in March, two late-round bogeys cost him the title to Viktor Hovland.

Thomas has gone through a total of 59 tournaments without knowing victory. Commentator Trevor Immelman (CBS Sports): “Everyone is hungry to win, but Justin has a special fire in him.”

And then, when the decisive putt on 18 curved slightly right and into the hole, Thomas dropped the club in celebration, knowing the shot was perfect. “Was it a feeling of relief or joy?” the reporter asked. “I think joy. When the ball went in, it was just joy,” Thomas replied. “It felt great… I was so happy I couldn’t stop smiling.”

Trong Dat

Source: https://tienphong.vn/vo-dich-rbc-heritage-justin-thomas-giai-con-khat-danh-hieu-keo-dai-3-nam-post1735609.tpo