American Justin Thomas staged a record-equalling fightback before beating Will Zalatoris in a play-off to win the US PGA Championship at Southern Hills.
Thomas trailed by seven at the start of the day but posted a three-under 67 to set the clubhouse target at five under.
Chile’s Mito Pereira looked set to win a first major title but double-bogeyed the 18th after hitting his tee shot into a creek to finish at four under.
England’s Matt Fitzpatrick (73) and Tommy Fleetwood (67) ended three under.
Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, who led the tournament after a five-under-par 65 on the opening day, closed with a 68 to finish eighth at two under in Oklahoma.
Thomas was one over after six holes on Sunday but had four birdies in his final 10 holes to fire his way to the top of the leaderboard, with Zalatoris hanging on to also finish on five under and capitalise on Pereira’s capitulation.
But it was the world number nine who prevailed in the three-hole shootout, making a decisive birdie on the 17th to claim his second major after also winning this event in 2017.
“It was a bizarre day,” said Thomas, who equalled John Mahaffey’s record of coming from seven behind to win the 1978 US PGA title, also in a play-off, at Oakmont.
“Bones [Thomas’ caddie] did an unbelievable job of just keeping me in the moment. We just tried to play the golf course for what it is..
“It’s funny, I was asked earlier in the week about what lead is safe, and I said, ‘no lead’. This place is so tough. But if you hit the fairways you can make birdies and I stayed so patient, I just couldn’t believe I found myself in a play-off.”
The nerve-shredding moments that will define this major for Pereira came on the 17th green and 18th tee.
A birdie putt that would have handed him a two-shot lead going down the last pulled up a couple of centimetres short before his drive a few moments later found water, ultimately sinking the world number one hundred’s hopes of becoming the first Chilean to win a major title.
“I don’t know what happened. I thought I hit it really good,” the 27-year-old said of his last tee shot. “On Monday, I just wanted to make the cut. On Sunday, I just wanted to win.”
As his ball was settling in the creek, Zalatoris was on the 18th green rolling in a gutsy par putt to match Thomas on five under, while the former champion immediately headed to the driving range in preparation for a play-off.
Pereira only made the switch from the PGA Tour’s feeder Korn Ferry Tour last summer and his best finish of 2022 before this event was a share of 13th at last month’s Texas Open, but he started the day with a three-stroke lead over Fitzpatrick on just his second major start.
(BBC Sport)