American Collin Morikawa tapped in a putt on the third playoff gap to outduel Justin Thomas in a wild Sunday end and seize the US PGA Tour Workday Charity Open. Morikawa, who had been the pacesetter by the primary two rounds, rallied from three strokes down with three holes remaining to drive the playoff at Muirfield Village Golf Membership. He then stayed alive by draining a 24-foot birdie putt on the primary playoff gap instantly after third-round chief Thomas had made a jaw-dropping 50-foot putt for birdie.
“Superb,” stated the 23-year-old Morikawa, who carded a remaining spherical 66 to complete on 19-under par 269 and gained for the second time on the US PGA Tour.
Sunday’s win made up for a disappointing loss in one other dramatic playoff end on the Charles Schwab Problem 4 weeks in the past within the PGA’s return from the COVID-19 calendar shutdown.
World quantity 5 Thomas was making an attempt to win for the 13th time on the Tour, however he was undone on the ultimate gap of the playoff after his tee shot on the par-four 10th sailed proper and landed behind a tree.
Thomas closed with a 69 however that included two bogeys in his remaining three holes after starting his spherical with a two-stroke lead over Viktor Hovland, with Morikawa three adrift.
“I’m fairly pissed off, it’s the solely solution to clarify it,” Thomas stated. “I had a three-shot lead with three to go and utterly handed it over.
“Collin performed nice. He had a really robust gap at 17.
“We each made two nice birdies on the primary playoff gap. I had two probabilities to win this factor in regulation and on the second playoff gap and I did not get it achieved.”
This week’s Workday Charity Open is the primary of back-to-back occasions on the Jack Nicklaus designed Dublin, Ohio course. The Nicklaus-hosted Memorial will observe subsequent week.
After rain, wind and lightning led to 2 suspensions on Friday, organizers determined to maneuver the tee instances up on Sunday to keep away from any extra climate delays.
Morikawa began Sunday’s spherical three pictures again after opening with a 65 and 66 to steer the primary and second rounds.
He rapidly fought his means again to the highest of the leaderboard with two birdies and an eagle in his first 5 holes.
He made three extra birdies on the again 9 together with the par 4 17. Morikawa used an eight iron to spin his method shot to eight ft then made the putt and celebrated with a fist pump.
His solely blemish got here on the par-four 13th when he made bogey as he closed with a four-under 66.
Probably the most dramatic second of the spherical got here on the primary playoff gap as each gamers rolled in huge putts for birdies.
Again-to-back bombs
Thomas went first, making a 50-foot downhill putt for what gave the impression to be the victory. However Morikawa wasn’t going wherever. He stayed alive by draining his putt, from simply inside 25 ft, to ship it again to the 18th tee for a second playoff gap.
Morikawa sealed the win on the 75th gap, two placing on the inexperienced after Thomas missed the golf green off the tee and needed to chip out from behind a small tree along with his second shot.
The win was Morikawa’s second in simply his 24th begin as a professional.
Promoted
“It is a large type of stepping-stone,” Morikawa stated. “We obtained primary (win) out of the way in which, we obtained quantity two — let the gates simply open and let’s maintain going as a result of clearly it was a troublesome loss at Colonial a month in the past, however I realized loads.
“That is simply extra positives, extra studying for me.”
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