Thomas wins playoff for CJ Cup victory
American Justin Thomas was back in the winner’s circle after beating Australian Marc Leishman in a play-off to capture the PGA Tour’s CJ Cup in South Korea on Sunday.
Both players finished regulation play on top of the leaderboard at nine-under-par 279 one shot ahead of Australia's Cameron Smith while hometown player Kim Whee was in fourth spot, two strokes further back on six under.
After squaring the first playoff hole, Thomas claimed the victory when the Australian hit his second shot into the water right of the green as they came down the par-five closing hole.
Thomas chose to keep faith with a wood, his shot from 243 yards landed just short of the putting surface.
The eagle putt by Thomas ended up short but he birdied the next to beat Leishman, who finished with a bogey six.
A sudden-death playoff and a @JustinThomas34 win.
The inaugural CJ CUP had quite the Sunday showdown.
📽 Roll the highlights 📽 pic.twitter.com/UubAyYNxsX
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) October 22, 2017
It’s the fifth victory of 2017 for Thomas – who has enjoyed a break-out year on the PGA Tour that included victory at the PGA Championship and the FedEx Cup.
Finishing at five-under were Anirban Lahiri, Scott Brown, Jamie Lovemark, Brian Harman, Pat Perez and Luke List.
And a shot further back was Patrick Reed, Jason Day, Rafa Cabrera Bello and South Korea's Byeong Hun all at four-under 284.
US PGA Tour CJ Cup SCORES:
PLAY-OFF
1 Justin Thomas (U.S.) after 2
2 Marc Leishman (Australia) after 2
REGULAR ROUNDS
-9 Justin Thomas (U.S.) 63 74 70 72 ; Marc Leishman (Australia) 66 72 71 70
-8 Cameron Smith (Australia) 69 68 73 70
-6 Kim Meen-Whee (Korea) 68 70 72 72
-5 Luke List (U.S.) 68 67 76 72 ; Jamie Lovemark (U.S.) 70 74 68 71 ; Anirban Lahiri (India) 69 71 69 74 ; Brian Harman (U.S.) 68 72 72 71 ; Scott Brown (U.S.) 66 70 71 76 ; Pat Perez (U.S.) 69 71 75 68
-4 Jason Day (Australia) 68 74 71 71 ; Patrick Reed (U.S.) 66 72 76 70 ; Rafael Cabrera-Bello (Spain) 71 70 72 71 ; An Byeong Hun (Korea) 71 73 67 73
-3 Lucas Glover (U.S.) 69 67 74 75 ; Branden Grace (South Africa) 72 67 74 72 ; Chez Reavie (U.S.) 66 72 74 73 ; Ian Poulter (Britain) 71 71 73 70
-2 Paul Casey (Britain) 72 71 69 74 ; Charles Howell III (U.S.) 67 72 78 69 ; Kyle Stanley (U.S.) 68 71 73 74 ; Ollie Schniederjans (U.S.) 67 72 76 71
-1 Morgan Hoffmann (U.S.) 73 71 69 74 ; Nick Taylor (Canada) 68 72 72 75
0 Adam Scott (Australia) 72 75 70 71
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