Justin Thomas defeats Will Zalatoris in playoff to win PGA Championship

Justin Thomas took a one-shot lead over Will Zalatoris after the second of three playoff holes.

Playing on the short, par-4 17th hole, Thomas drove the green, while Zalatoris was in far worse position near the rough below the hole. Zalatoris hit a commendable chip on the green but missed a 10-foot putt for a possible birdie and settled for par.

Thomas then finished out a two-putt to get a birdie and the lead, with one hole left.

The playoff will be decided on aggregate score, and it will go to sudden death if both players are tied after three holes.

Justin Thomas and Will Zalatoris were tied after the first leg of their three-hole playoff. Starting on the par-5 13th hole, they both made birdies. The playoff will be decided on aggregate score, and it will go to sudden death if both players are tied after three holes.

Thomas gave himself the harder task, after hitting his drive into rough on the right and choosing to lay up ahead of a pond guarding the green. Zalatoris found the middle of the fairway off the tee and put his approach shot on the green. He had a look at an eagle but missed to the left and settled for a birdie.

Thomas hit a terrific pitch onto the green and connected on his putt to equal his rival on the scorecard.

Justin Thomas and Will Zalatoris will compete in a three-hole playoff, after Mito Pereira double-bogeyed the 18th hole to stunningly fall out of the lead for the first time since early in the third round.

Pereira’s ugly-looking drive on 18 went into a creek, and after taking a drop he couldn’t get up and down to get a bogey and tie Thomas and Zalatoris at 5 under. Moments before, Zalatoris had done very well to get up and down himself and save par on that hole, following a drive that wasn’t what he wanted but was less disastrous than Pereira’s.

If Thomas and Zalatoris are still tied on aggregate after three holes, to be played on the 13th, 17th and 18th holes, the format will go to sudden death. This is the first playoff at the PGA Championship since 2011, when Keegan Bradley emerged as the winner over Jason Dufner. The most recent playoff in a major occurred in 2017, when Sergio Garcia outlasted Justin Rose at the Masters.

Pereira, who was seeking his first PGA Tour win, fell into a tie for third with Cameron Young.

Mito Pereira took a one-shot lead to the 18th tee — and promptly hit a drive into a creek along the right-hand side of the fairway.

The result, on what has already been playing as one of the toughest holes on the course, means that a par is unlikely and could put Pereira into a playoff if he makes a bogey. Any worse than that, and Pereira will finish behind Will Zalatoris and Justin Thomas, who finished their rounds tied for second at 5 under.

We have a new leader in the clubhouse, and he is just one shot behind the tournament leader. Justin Thomas made a par at the difficult 18th hole, following a birdie at the 17th, to finish at 5 under overall after a 3-under round.

Thomas is tied for second with Will Zalatoris, with both behind Mito Pereira, who is at 6 under through 16. Pereira is 3 over for his round, and has done well to limit the damage to just that with several clutch par saves.

The 17th hole has given numerous players birdie chances today, including one for Zalatoris, and Pereira may need to take advantage of it if he wants to keep Thomas from winning the second PGA Championship of his career. Thomas also birdied the ninth, 11th and 12th holes to make a strong move up the leader board as others faltered.

Matt Fitzpatrick drained a chip shot at the 15th hole for a birdie that brought him two shots off the lead. Fitzpatrick improved to 4 under, leaving him in fourth place.

Mito Pereira remained in first place, but he dropped to 6 under after making a bogey at the 14th hole. Moments later, Justin Thomas birdied the 17th hole to get to 5 under and a second-place tie with Will Zalatoris and Cameron Young.

Once again, Mito Pereira fell into a tie for first. And once again, the unheralded Chilean retook the lead while his rival faltered.

Earlier in the final round, it was Will Zalatoris who took advantage of a Pereira misstep to temporarily climb atop the leader board. This time, Cameron Young found himself tied for first, but as with Zalatoris, he made a bogey while Pereira made birdie and got back a two-shot lead.

After bogeying the 12th, Pereira hit a terrific approach shot on the par-5 13th and had a chance at an eagle. He settled for a two-putt birdie, while Young, playing in the group just ahead, got into some trouble on the 14th hole and couldn’t make a tricky par putt.

Young fell to 5 under, and Pereira improved to 7 under. Zalatoris is also at 5 under and is tied for second, with Justin Thomas in fourth at 4 under.

Mito Pereira made a bogey at the 12th hole, dropping him to 6 under and into a tie for first with Cameron Young.

Pereira, the 54-hole leader who started the day with a three-shot lead, is now 3 over for the day. Young, a 25-year-old American, is 1 under on the day through 13 holes.

One stroke behind them at 5 under is Will Zalatoris, with Justin Thomas lurking at 4 under through 14. Pereira, a Chilean looking for his first PGA Tour win, had done well to save par over holes 9 through 11, but his flirtations with danger finally caught up to him.