By Neil Leverett
- Justin Thomas wins 2022 PGA Championship with playoff victory over Will Zalatoris at Southern Hills, Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Kentuckian becomes two-time Wanamaker Trophy winner after leader Mito Pereira suffers final hole collapse
- Jordan Spieth misses chance at Grand Slam; Scottie Scheffler misses cut; Tiger Woods struggles again
TULSA, OKLAHOMA – After Justin Thomas claimed his second major with victory in the PGA Championship what did we learn from Southern Hills?
JT a two-time PGA champion
After winning his first major at Quail Hollow in August 2017, Justin Thomas has knocked hard at the door for his second.
Having toiled away with no answer, Sunday however, saw his five-year wait come to an end by winning the 104th PGA Championship at Southern Hills in Tulsa.
Claiming his second Wanamaker Trophy, the man from Louisville, Kentucky had finished T8 or better on four occasions but in many other majors had surged and then fallen by the wayside. This time however, his run was impeccably timed.
As Will Zalatoris, Matt Fitzpatrick and Mito Pereira jostled for position at the top of the leaderboard, JT – still a full seven strokes off the lead – stood at the ninth tee and embarked on a remarkable back nine rampage.
For Thomas to contend, a heavy shot swing would be required and even with an unblemished remainder of his Sunday card with four birdies, with missed opportunities at 15 and 16, his four at the last looked like being insufficient.
Sitting on -5 in the Clubhouse, the drama of the final hole would fall right into Thomas’ lap.
Coming out on top in the playoff, it was Thomas’ exquisite drive to the short par-four that 17th tiptoed past the bunkers and onto the green which set up a pivotal advantage going down the last.
Victorious at Sawgrass last season, JT’s inability to keep his game together when it mattered had began to be an all-too common theme; On Sunday though, it all came together and at exactly the right time.
Pereira inexperience costly
For Mito Pereira it was almost the polar opposite.
If the pundits had been forced to pick one player from South America to be the dominant force in Oklahoma, Joaquin Niemann may have been the name in the frame. Yet it was the relatively lesser known Pereira who almost grabbed his moment in the limelight. Almost.
Having led the pack from the end of Friday, memories of the final hole of the week will sting, and for some considerable time.
With three wins on the Korn Ferry Tour, the Chilean is no stranger to success, however, in just his second major appearance, his lack of inexperience proved critical when it counted.
Having put 71 holes in the book for the week, Pereira needed just a par to win his first major in just his second entry, and after holding a lengthy putt at 16 for par also, was an inch from taking a two-shot lead down the last. Everything seemed in control.
As his final drive caught the wind however, his ball bounced agonisingly off the fairway and toward the creek. As television pictures showed a ball submerged in the water, the horror was like something from a John Carpenter movie.
Forced to drop out from the penalty area, the Chilean needed to get home in three on a hole that had played the toughest all week to join the playoff with Thomas and Zalatoris. Alas, his approach could only find the rough at the back of the green.
A chip out then saw his ball flop to the left of the green needing a miracle putt to save his five. It had all unravelled in the cruellest of fashion, as Pereira failed to even make the playoff. Even Jean van de Velde would been wincing.
So did Pereira fall victim to lack of experience in the big, big moments? Simply put, the relative rookie was put in a totally alien position of which a more seasoned head may not have played such an aggressive tee shot with a one-stroke lead. It is perhaps easier said in hindsight.
Just how damaging a loss will take some time to measure but if he does not win another major in his career, many a sleepless night will be had in one particular Santiago household.
Zalatoris must tighten up on greens
Will Zalatoris will reflect on his trip to Southern Hills as another huge step toward a first tournament victory, yet, having lost out a in playoff for the second time this season, will again be wondering ‘what if’.
Last season’s PGA Rookie of the Year, the 25-year-old from San Francisco made it two major runners-up finishes, after coming home a stroke behind Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama at Augusta last year. Finishing T6 in Georgia last month, Zalatoris also recorded a T8 at Kiawah Island 12 month ago.
It all seems like his game is primed for success. But the American has one main weakness in his game that must be addressed.
Once more moving into position over the weekend in Oklahoma, Zalatoris shot three-over-par on the greens over the rest of the leaders and it proved costly.
Despite holing clutch putts on Sunday, particularly on the final green to force his way into the playoff with Thomas, it was the same foibles that saw his score wildly yoyo at Augusta only weeks ago. It was also the means he lost out to Luke List in the Farmers Insurance Open back in January, missing a crucial putt on the final green to win in his native California.
There are few players tee-to-green better than Zalatoris in the game right now. When he gets to the putting surface however, his game falters. Ultimately, if Zalatoris is to win on either the PGA Tour or claim his first major, that must be addressed.
Chastening week for Woods
Ahead of PGA Championship week, there where genuine hopes for Tiger Woods in challenging for a 16th major title. What transpired however, was a sizeable reality check for arguably the greatest player in the history of the game, that leaves more questions than answers.
When Woods arrived in the Sooner State and played the course on Tuesday, the signs were good that the four-time PGA winner was in a far better place both physically and mentally.
Looking stronger and with his swing in good order, the 46-year-old was enjoying his time with the media in the tournament build-up in a manner not seen for some time. Yet, 24 hours later, the cracks were appearing.
Beginning to visibly limp around the undulating course on Wednesday, the heat kept Woods in condition through Friday but finding himself on the wrong side of windy conditions, by the time the temperature dropped come Saturday, Tiger was operating to 50% – at best.
Holding himself well at -1 as the weekend began, his third round fell apart in spectacular fashion and it was at times difficult to watch a broken down Woods amble around the fairways and greens, as he took a triple-bogey six at the sixth and seven further bogeys in shooting 79.
It was to his immense credit that the winner at Southern Hills in 2007 shot 3-3-4-4-4 to complete his round – including a birdie at 15 – to avoid the dreaded 80 score.
Then sitting +9 a full 18 strokes off the lead, it was no surprise to see his withdrawal later that evening. Ice baths on this occasion were not enough.
Southern Hills will be one of the tougher courses Woods could play anywhere on the calendar this year, but just where his body may be able to withstand the rigours of a major week is unclear.
Will Tiger play Brookline for the US Open? Or could he play more Tour events in preparation for the 150th Open at St. Andrews? Woods will certainly not find a flatter venue and the Fife course remains a real favourite having won two of his three Claret Jugs at the Home of Golf.
The only major stumbling block to his hopes in Scotland will be the weather; If the cold weather sets in, Woods will surely labour.
That is surely something none of us want to see.
Scheffler reality check; Spieth fails; McIlroy improvement continues
Elsewhere, it was story of failed attempts at history for both Scottie Scheffler and Jordan Spieth.
As one man looked to win successive majors, another eyed their place in the annuls as only the sixth player to win all four majors in their respective careers.
It was as testing a week for many as it gets and though Oklahoma played suit on Thursday, the winds picked up on Friday, as the temperatures dropped dramatically the day after. With the accompanying rain, Southern Hills felt more like a Links course.
Scheffler found the going toughest. Finishing +6 over 36 holes, the world number one looked a shell of his usual self to miss the cut by two strokes. But Scheffler was not the only one to labour.
Spieth’s valiant attempts to stay in touch ultimately finished in a T34, meaning it is now five years since his last major win at Royal Birkdale.
Other names of significance to miss the weekend were Dustin Johnson also at +6, whilst Brooks Koepka and Collin Morikawa ended the weekend at +8, unable to get to grips with the tricky conditions.
For 24 hours at least, Rory McIlroy fans were getting interested also as the Northern Irishman led the field after 18 holes.
Having finished no lower than T4 having done so in previous major tournaments, McIlroy’s eighth-placed finish was still a very decent showing but the wheels again fell off on moving day, shooting a 74 on Saturday.
Nevertheless, a Sunday surge for the second major on the bounce is further evidence that McIlroy is finally starting to get that feeling back. Will that be enough the challenge the likes of Thomas and Scheffler?
The 122nd US Open at The Country Club, Brookline, Massachusetts begins on June 16.
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