Thomas romps to Sony Open win in record style
Challenged only by the record book, Justin Thomas won the Sony Open on Sunday with the lowest 72-hole score in PGA Tour history. Thomas capped off his wonderful week at Waialae that began with a 59 with his second straight victory. He twoputted birdie from 60 feet on the par-5 18th and closed with a 5-under 65 to set the record at 253.
Tommy Armour III shot 254 at the 2003 Texas Open. “It’s been an unbelievable week. Unforgettable,” Thomas said before going to sign his historic card. Make that two weeks.
The 23-year-old from Kentucky won at Kapalua last week by three shots, then destroyed the full field at the Sony Open to win by seven shots. Thomas is the first player since Tiger Woods in 2009 (Buick Open and Bridgestone Invitational) to win back-to-back weeks by three shots or more.
Justin Rose closed with a 64 to finish alone in second. Jordan Spieth was third after a 63. The first full-field event of the year on the PGA Tour was a one-man show. Thomas began the final round with a seven-shot lead and no one got closer than five shots all day. His only nervous moment was an 8-foot par putt on the sixth hole when he was five shots ahead. He made that, and the rest of the day was a Pacific breeze. Thomas joined Ernie Els in 2003 as the only players to sweep Hawaii, and this performance might have been even better. Thomas was 49-under par for his two weeks, compared with Els at 47 under.
Thomas joined Johnny Miller (1974 and 1975) and Tiger Woods (2003, 2008, 2013) as the only players in 50 years to win three of the their first five starts in a PGA Tour season. It started last fall with the CIMB Classic in Malaysia. He moved to No. 8 in the world.
Graeme Storm beat Rory McIlroy on the third playoff hole in the SA Open on Sunday for his second European Tour title, 80 days after the Englishman lost his tour card by 100 euros.
After the 251st-ranked Storm tapped in for a par, the second-ranked McIlroy slid his par putt wide from 7 feet on their fourth visit to the 18th hole at Glendower Golf Club. Storm closed with a 1-under 71 to match McIlroy (68) at 18-under 270. Storm lost his card at the end of last year, only to get a reprieve when American Patrick Reed failed to play enough events to keep his card. Storm also won the 2007 French Open. McIlroy said he will have tests on his back Monday to make sure he is fit enough to play in Abu Dhabi without further damage. Making his first start of the year, McIlroy felt pain in his back before the second round and it lingered throughout the final day.
DIAMOND RESORTS INVITATIONAL
Woody Austin completed a wire-to-wire victory in the Diamond Resorts Invitational and former pitcher Mark Mulder took the celebrity title.
Austin closed with a 6-under 66 on the Four Seasons Resort’s Tranquilo course, earning 31 points in the modified Stableford scoring system to finish the three-round event at 104 - eight points ahead of second-place Joe Durant. Austin opened with an 11-under 59.
A three-time winner last year on the PGA Tour Champions, the 52-year-old Austin had seven birdies and one bogey in the final round, with a birdie worth three points, a par one point and a bogey zero points. Coming off offseason hernia surgery, Austin missed only one fairway and one green in regulation Sunday.
Mulder rallied to top of the celebrity division, scoring 30 points in a 67 to finish with 77 points. Former tennis player Mardy Fish, the winner last year, and former kicker Ryan Longwell tied for second with 67 points. Second-round leader Ray Allen was fourth with 66.—AP