Isn’t this how it was supposed to turn out?
Isn’t this the way this final major of the season should end?
Isn’t this a championship story that leaves the PGA Of America absolutely giddy?
On a pressure-packed afternoon in Charlotte on a worse-than-difficult Quail Hollow track, the son of a PGA Professional won the 99th PGA Championship.
Justin Thomas, son of club pro Mike Thomas and grandson of club pro Paul Thomas, came through in the clutch, came through when it counted most and joined his buddy Jordan Spieth in the major champions club.
Thomas came through when 54-hole leader Kevin Kisner found the mistakes he avoided for the first 54-holes.
Thomas used his enormous length off the tee to win this one but he will forever remember three big shots from the final nine holes.
The first came at the 10th when a birdie attempt hung on the lip and momentarily refused to fall. Thomas waited the proper amount of time then as the count hit 10, the ball fell into the cup for birdie. The second came at the par three 13th when he chipped in for another birdie. The shot that seemingly iced it was an incredible seven-iron into the 223-yard 17th that stopped 14 feet from the cup. He holed that putt, got to nine-under and cruised in.
For the record, Thomas bogeyed the 72nd hole, still shot 68, finished eight-under par and won by two. The bogey finish didn’t matter, he out-lasted and out-played the rest. Kisner had a snowball’s-chance-in-hell to tie it up if he holed his second shot from the fairway at 18. He hooked it in the water. It was that kinda day for the overnight leader who no one expected to win this championship.
Thomas had finished just in front of that last group. He shot 34 coming home, thanks to those big back-nine birdies and a variety of skilled short-game shots.
As he walked off the final hole, dad was there with a huge hug along with another from his mom, Jani.
This was a huge moment for the family, a huge moment for the PGA Of America family. One of its own produced a PGA champion.
“I really can’t put it into words,” Thomas said as he hoisted then replaced the huge Wanamaker Trophy. “It’s so special with three generations of PGA members.”
Thomas then said he was sad that his granda, Paul, couldn’t be there. Odds are pretty good those two will get together soon to spend some time with each other and the Wanamaker.
It might be a bit of irony that 17 years ago, seven-year-old Justin Thomas took in the 2000 PGA Championship in his hometown of Louisville. He was all over the Valhalla Country Club and watched his idol, Tiger Woods, beat Bob May for the championship.
Now it was Thomas’ time.
He joins the stable of young champions who have the ability to dominate the game.
His pals were waiting for him as he made his way off the 72nd hole. Rickie Fowler hugged him, so did Spieth, so did Bud Cauley, who played with J.T. at the University of Alabama.
“It’s a cool thing with the young players,” Thomas pointed out, “we all pull for each other. If we can’t win, we want to see one of us win. It was cool to have Jordan, Rickie and Bud waiting there.”
The Wanamaker Trophy may be making its way back to Louisville shortly.
You’ll probably be able to see it at the Harmony Landing County Club outside Louisville. That’s where dad Mike has been the pro for the past 28 years. It’s where J.T. hit his first golf shots as soon as he was able to stand up and hold a sawed-off club.
No doubt, there will be a big party.
This is how it was supposed to turn out, wasn’t it?
