Thomas, historical comeback and the wise advice of his caddy, Mickelson’s ‘ex’

A few words of encouragement from his caddy made all the difference for justin thomas won his second major title after making an incredible comeback and winning the PGA Championship in the tiebreaker. The American was seven shots away at the start of the final round Southern Hills (Tulsa, Okla.)but make way to climb to the standings before overtaking his countrymen Will Zalatoris in a three-hole playoff and to see how the Chilean Pabula Pereiraa hole from the embrace of glory, fell on the last hole to become the first golfer since 2006 in a ‘well’ wasted lead shot on the 18th -Phil Mickelson at the Winged Foot USA Open- to eventually beat the tournament.

Thomas, who also won the PGA in 2017, explained that Jim ‘Bones’ Mackay – strange former caddy for many in ‘Lefty’ although he couldn’t win with him last year because they parted ways – put him back on the winning track after posting a disappointing 74 in the third round on Saturday . “I’m confident in saying I wouldn’t stand here if he didn’t give me that … it’s not really a speech, it’s a conversation, if you do,” Thomas said.

“I felt like I was playing awful. And he was like, ‘Man, you have to stop being hard on yourself. You’re in’ ointment ‘every week we play.'” The 15-time PGA Tour winner has Mackay, caddy for Phil Mickelson – PGA champion, oldest in history, in 2021 and absent this year in Tulsa – for 25 years, carrying his bag of clubs from September and arriving with six tops -10 in 2022 at the Southern Hills Country Club.

Thomas told reporters he was able to tune in and avoid looking at the scoreboard on Sunday. “You don’t have to be perfect. You don’t have to be hard on yourself. Let things happen, and everything goes in the right direction. So stay positive for something good to happen,” Justin said. “So it’s not often after turning in a four-over-par card on Saturday from a major that I go away as high as I’m in the mood right now,” he added.

Thomas accepted the Wanamaker Trophy and was showered with congratulations by thousands of fans surrounding the 18th green amid sunset in the Southern Hills after Mito Pereira had a huge opportunity to change the story of his career. The South American shot from the tee minutes before it ended up in the water on the 18th hole and this mistake ‘stole’ his glory, the most unexpected at the Grand Slams and the winner’s purse of 2.7 million dollars.

Thomas, who started 7 shots down on the final day, entered the 18th hole with 5 under overall and one shot from the lead. Thomas and Will Zalatoris watched Pereira fall and force a playoff, only for Thomas to equalize the greatest comeback in PGA Championship history, set by John Mahaffey in 1978 at Oakmont, where he also came off seven strokes before winning the playoffs at Tom Watson (This is the only ‘major’ missing one from Kansas after winning two Masters, one US Open and five British Open in his brilliant career) and Jerry Pate.

Thomas ’seven-stroke comeback to Pereira is the most important in a Grand Slam since the 1999 British Open won by Paul Lawrie after the fall of Frenchman Jean Van de Velde.

Thomas ended a 14 -month winless streak (since The Players Championship in 2021). It also gave Southern Hills another well -known major champion: of the past seven, six are in the Hall of Fame. Thomas arrived in Tulsa acknowledging that he wasn’t living his best days of playing and swinging, but with his father Mike Thomas as coach they were able to hit the key within the week and Justin lifted the second big of his career.

Thomas now has nine consecutive years winning at least one tournament. He hasn’t missed a victory appointment since 2014 and already has 16 valid wins for the world ranking. In four of those nine years he has won more than once and is now 5th in the world rankings. His second ‘major’ came unexpectedly. None of the six players before him won the ‘big one’. Thomas knew this. It was the longest title drought since his first PGA Tour win. He is also aware. “I remember how hard it was to win now so I knew I was nervous and I knew they would feel the same way. You just don’t know what’s going to happen.”