Justin Thomas had one final obstacle to prove his game was back to where it should be, and he overcame it on Sunday in the RBC Heritage, securing his first win in nearly three years with the longest putt he’s ever made.
As he walked up to the 18th green at Harbour Town in a playoff against Andrew Novak, Thomas mentioned to his fill-in caddie, Joe Greiner, that he’d never made a putt to win on the final hole. With a 20-foot putt ahead, Thomas made the putt so smoothly that he dropped his putter before the ball disappeared into the cup, triggering a wave of joy as he ended the long wait for a victory.
“That was pretty cool,” Thomas said. “That was as fun as I thought it would be.”
Thomas played bogey-free in dry, fast conditions on a challenging course, making a 25-foot birdie putt on the 16th hole and finishing with a 3-under 68. His most anxious moment came when he had to watch Novak line up an 8-foot birdie putt for the win. Novak’s putt missed, leaving both players tied at 17-under 267.
In the playoff, Novak missed from just inside 35 feet, setting up Thomas for his winning putt. Thomas couldn’t hide his happiness as he looked around at the packed grandstands, with the Calibogue Sound in the background and his family cheering behind the 18th green.
“I didn’t realize how much I missed winning,” Thomas said on the 18th green, standing next to his wife, Jill, and their 5-month-old daughter, Molly.
Thomas’ last victory came at the PGA Championship in May 2022. Since then, his game had struggled, leading him to miss the FedEx Cup playoffs for the first time in 2023 and be left off the Presidents Cup team. But his performance at Harbour Town confirmed that his game had returned to its former level.
“I think it was the last thing missing, if you will,” Thomas said. “At least for me, I felt like it was the last thing I needed to do for my own well-being.”
Novak, who was close to his first win, had previously been a runner-up in Bermuda last fall and had shown promise in other events like the Farmers Insurance Open and Valero Texas Open. He gave a strong challenge but ultimately saw Thomas secure the win.
“I’m not as frustrated as I thought I would be,” Novak said. “I did a lot of good things, and I’m proud of putting myself in that position.”
Thomas’ victory marked his 16th win on the PGA Tour, moving him up to No. 6 in the world rankings. He also moved into the top six in the Ryder Cup standings.
Thomas and Novak took control of the tournament in the middle of the round, pulling away from a crowded leaderboard. Si Woo Kim and Maverick McNealy were also in the mix before fading.
Daniel Berger finished with a 65 to tie for third, alongside McNealy (70), Mackenzie Hughes (67), and Brian Harman (69). Defending champion Scottie Scheffler briefly made a run but was ultimately unable to catch up. He shot a 70 and tied for eighth.
Scheffler, who had to make an eagle on the final hole to stay in contention, found the water with his risky approach, resulting in a double bogey. However, he remains optimistic about his game.
“I think I’m really close,” Scheffler said. “I feel like I did a lot of things well this week, just a few of the important shots I didn’t pull off. Outside of that, it was a pretty solid week.”
Thomas’ victory came after a consistent display on the back nine, saving his chances by making five consecutive putts on holes 4 through 8. Novak, despite battling tree trouble and a tough lie, made a remarkable par save on the 11th hole to stay in the hunt.
With the win, Thomas now sits inside the top 10 in the world rankings, and Novak’s performance has boosted him into the top 35, ensuring his qualification for the U.S. Open and potentially the British Open with continued success.
