Justin Thomas found out just how much pressure comes with being on top of the leaderboard of a PGA Tour event.
The Louisville native, who his rookie season on Tour, birdied the eighth hole in Sunday’s final round of The Greenbrier Classic to move into sole possession of first place.
But just when it looked like the former St. Xavier High School star and University of Alabama standout was on his way to his first Tour win, the bottom dropped out.
Thomas played the final 10 holes in 8-over-par at The Old White TPC in White Sulphur Springs, W.V. as he dropped from first into a tie for 54th-place, carding a 5-under 275 (67-67-66-75). Danny Lee, who finished in a four-way tie for first (with David Hearn, Robert Streb and Kevin Kinser) with a 13-under 267 in regulation, won a two-hole playoff for the tourney title. Streb broke his putter, so he used his sand wedge on the green in the final nine holes of regulation.
“Maybe I should’ve gone Robert streb on em the back nine and putted with my wedge too.. Haha played 62 great holes this week!#onward,” Thomas tweeted after his round.
Thomas shot 33-34 in his first round, which included an ace, four birdies and three bogeys. Starting on the back nine, Thomas bogeyed two of the first four holes he played before sandwiching birdies on Nos. 14 and 16 around a par on 15. He then parred the 17th before acing the 175-yard, par-3 18th (the PGA Tour's "Shot of the Week"). He then parred the first three holes of the front nine before back-to-back birdies on Nos. 4 and 5, both par-4’s, before parring three of the final four holes. His only hiccup came on the par-3 eighth, which he bogeyed.
In Friday’s second round Thomas once again shot 33-34 with a round that featured four birdies and one bogey. Starting on the front nine this time Thomas sandwiched pars on the first four holes and the last four holes around a birdie on the par-4 fifth. On the back nine Thomas picked up steam, birdieing three (Nos. 12, 14-15) of the first six holes. He then bogeyed the par-4 16th before closing his round with consecutive pars.
In Saturday’s bogey-free third round Thomas carded 31-35. He blistered the front nine, birdieing Nos. 4, 6 and 7 while parring the other six holes. On the back nine Thomas parred the first seven holes before birdieing the par-5 17th. He parred 18, narrowly missing a birdie putt that would’ve put him in a five-way tie for first, as he finished the third round in a four-way tie for fifth.
Thomas began his final round with two birdies (Nos. 1 and 4) in his first four holes before dropping in a downhill birdie putt on the par-3 eighth to move into the lead. But that’s when Thomas’ trouble started. He bogeyed the par-4 ninth, after his tee shot found the bunker, to finish with a 32 on the front. The wheels came off on No. 10, however. After reaching the par-4 in two, Thomas had a 13-foot birdie putt to get back on track. But he missed that putt, and another, and another, and another, as he four-putted his way to a 6.
Thomas then sandwiched four pars around a bogey on No. 13 to stay near the lead. He quickly left the neighborhood, though, when he got an 8 (the dreaded snowman in July) on the par-4 16th. Thomas closed his back nine 43 with back-to-back pars.
Thomas will try to get back on track next weekend, when he plays in the John Deere Classic at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Ill.
Photo courtesy Justin Thomas' Facebook Page
