Justin Thomas Falls, Then Rises, Earns A Crazy Victory

When the walls are crumbling around them, the really good ones find a way out.

Justin Thomas played like a champ Sunday at the Tournament of Champions — until suddenly, without warning, he didn’t.

Things were going J.T.’s way in the blustery Hawaiian winds at Kapalua’s Plantation course.  Six birdies over an eight-hole span got him into a pretty comfortable position with just three holes to play.  He was 16-under par and looking quite good.

Then golf happened.

His tee shot at the 16th found a fairway bunker, his second ended well short of the green.  He pitched to eight-feet then missed his par putt.

No worries, he was still a shot clear of playing partner Xander Schauffele and Patrick Reed, who was squirming in the scoring building.  Reed holed an impressive 20-footer at the last for birdie and his 66 got him to 14-under.  He had a prayer but that was about it.

Pars by Thomas and Schauffele set the stage for the final hole, that downhill par five with a bunch of trouble to the left but one of the world’s widest fairways to give comfort off the tee.

Both were staring at the green.  J.T. hit first and out of the blue, pull-hooked his second into that chest-high grass where golf balls go to die a slow, miserable death.  Schauffele saw his opportunity and hit a gem of a second that left him with a 36-foot eagle putt.

After a three-minute fruitless search for his ball, J.T. dropped and his third stopped just inside nine feet for par — still a good chance to save par.  It was looking like a playoff for sure with Schauffele all but guaranteed a two-putt for birdie and a 15-under finish.  Perhaps even an outright win.  It’s not like guys hole nine-footers for par with everything on the line unless their name is Tiger Woods.

J.T.’s three-wood second was the first shocker on that hole, Schauffele’s first putt was the second.  He smashed it eight feet past the cup and after J.T. missed and made bogey — Schauffele had his putt to win it all.

Then golf happened again.

He missed and both finished at 14-under.  J.T. shot 69, Xander 70 and the door opened for golf’s version of The Honey Badger — Patrick Reed.

Back to 18 they went.  This one had an extraordinary feel.  Two major champions and Schauffele, who has been in the thick of it at majors a bunch.

The X-man bowed out after Reed and Thomas made birdies and Schauffele didn’t.

Schauffele was immediately kicking himself in his behind. “I should’ve won the tournament,” he said. “I know it. Everyone knows it.  I kind of did everything I was supposed to until the last moment, which sucks,” he went on.  “But it’s another learning experience and I guess I’ll have to work on some wind putting.”

That left J.T., the good guy and Reed, the bad guy, to duke it out.  Two pars at the second go-round left them with just one more trip down 18.  The sun was setting, light was fading.  Time for just one more hole, otherwise, it would have been back on Monday morning.

Fate smiled on Thomas.  Both players were short in two.  J.T., from 110-yards out, hit a shot to remember that stopped just three feet from the hole.  Reed, from 72 yards out, couldn’t match it but still had eight feet for birdie and a probable Monday finish.

Reed stood over his putt and when the ball was halfway to the hole, someone screamed “Cheater!” from the stands.  Everyone heard it as Reeds ball slid four-feet by.  He sank the par putt then watched J.T. win it with the three-footer.

“Through 15 holes, I played one of the best rounds of my life,” said J.T., who notched his 12th career win and his third in his last seven starts.  Despite the two bogeys over the final three holes, Thomas collected himself.  “I told myself, for some reason I was supposed to win this week.  I got very fortunate.”

Final Scoreboard: