PGA Championship 2022 LIVE: Leaderboard & reaction as Justin Thomas beats Will Zalatoris in playoff
All the action from the final day at Southern Hills as Mito Pereira takes a three-shot lead into round four
Justin Thomas overturned a record-equalling seven-shot deficit before beating Will Zalatoris in a play-off to win his second US PGA Championship following a dramatic climax at Southern Hills.
Chile’s Mito Pereira held a one-shot lead on the 72nd hole after seeing his birdie putt on the 17th stop agonisingly short of the hole, but pushed his drive into the creek and ran up a devastating double bogey.
That left Thomas and Zalatoris to contest a three-hole aggregate play-off and Thomas birdied the 13th and 17th and parred the 18th to lift the Wanamaker Trophy for the second time, having started the day seven shots off the lead.
That meant the former world number one equalled the biggest comeback in US PGA history, John Mahaffey coming from seven behind Tom Watson after 54 holes to defeat Watson and Jerry Pate in a play-off at Oakmont in 1978.
Thomas had holed from six feet on the par-five 13th to match the birdie Zalatoris had made after finding the green in two, but Zalatoris missed from eight feet for birdie on the 17th after Thomas had driven the green on the 302-yard par four to set up a two-putt birdie.
Zalatoris then could not hole his lengthy birdie putt on the 18th and Thomas safely two-putted for par to get his hands on the Wanamaker Trophy for the second time following his 2017 win at Quail Hollow.
Follow all the reaction from an intriguing final day, below:
Zalatoris pars 18
A big putt from Will Zalatoris sends him into the clubhouse on the same score as Justin Thomas. It looks as though they’ll be heading into a play-off unless Mito Pereira can pull a rabbit out of a hat.
Pereira in the wet!
Oh no. Mito Pereira what have you done? He’s taken the driver off the tee on 18 and smoked it over to the right where a couple of bounces drops it into the water!
That’s going to be a penalty drop and he’ll do brilliantly to make bogey from here.
Mere inches away
Mito Pereira bombed a driver to the front edge of the green on 17 and flicked a chip onto the dancefloor leaving himself a fairly straight putt for birdie and a two-shot lead.
When it comes off the putter it looks good but the ball slows and stops on the edge of the hole. Pereira can’t believe it didn’t drop.
He knows what he has to do now though. A par on 18 and he’ll win the PGA Championship.
Fitzpatrick’s challenge is over
He got a break off the tee on 17 by just clearing the hazard but followed that up with a pitch into the bunker. Things kept on unravelling and he finally tapped in for a bogey.
He’s down to (-3) and is three shots back.
Young birdies 17
Cameron Young isn’t out of this yet either. He makes a good birdie on 17 to move to four under for the tournament and needs a birdie on 18.
His drive falls away to the right but stays in the fairway and he’s got a difficult shot coming up to reach the green. Anywhere on the dancefloor and he’ll have a putt for a three.
Zalatoris is clinging on
A bogey on 16 is followed by a birdie on 17 for Will Zalatoris who joins Justin Thomas at (-5). He’ll have a chance on the last hole for one more birdie, JT couldn’t take it, can Zalatoris?
Thomas into the clubhouse
All smiles after a final round of 67. He’s set the target to beat, Mito Pereira knows he can’t drop a shot over the next two holes.
A par for Thomas
It was a close one but Justin Thomas sends his birdie putt on 18 agonisingly close to the hole yet it doesn’t go in. He settles for a par and the lead in the clubhouse at five-under for the tournament.
He’s done all he can. Four birdies in the last 10 holes has put him in arguably the best position. Over to Mito Pereira now.
Rory McIlroy’s Sunday charge at US PGA Championship ends in disappointment
Rory McIlroy’s second successive Sunday charge in a major ended in disappointment as the US PGA Championship headed for a tense climax at Southern Hills.
McIlroy finished runner-up in the Masters thanks to a closing 64 at Augusta National, a round which culminated in wild celebrations from the four-time major winner after he holed a bunker shot on the 72nd hole.
In stark contrast, McIlroy’s closing 68 in Tulsa was followed by him declining to speak to waiting reporters before quickly collecting his belongings from the locker room and heading to his car.
Rory McIlroy’s Sunday charge at US PGA Championship ends in disappointment
McIlroy’s closing 68 in Tulsa was followed by him declining to speak to waiting reporters.
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