PGA Championship 2022 LIVE: Leaderboard & reaction as Justin Thomas beats Will Zalatoris in playoff
All the action from the final day at Southern Hills as Mito Pereira takes a three-shot lead into round four
Justin Thomas overturned a record-equalling seven-shot deficit before beating Will Zalatoris in a play-off to win his second US PGA Championship following a dramatic climax at Southern Hills.
Chile’s Mito Pereira held a one-shot lead on the 72nd hole after seeing his birdie putt on the 17th stop agonisingly short of the hole, but pushed his drive into the creek and ran up a devastating double bogey.
That left Thomas and Zalatoris to contest a three-hole aggregate play-off and Thomas birdied the 13th and 17th and parred the 18th to lift the Wanamaker Trophy for the second time, having started the day seven shots off the lead.
That meant the former world number one equalled the biggest comeback in US PGA history, John Mahaffey coming from seven behind Tom Watson after 54 holes to defeat Watson and Jerry Pate in a play-off at Oakmont in 1978.
Thomas had holed from six feet on the par-five 13th to match the birdie Zalatoris had made after finding the green in two, but Zalatoris missed from eight feet for birdie on the 17th after Thomas had driven the green on the 302-yard par four to set up a two-putt birdie.
Zalatoris then could not hole his lengthy birdie putt on the 18th and Thomas safely two-putted for par to get his hands on the Wanamaker Trophy for the second time following his 2017 win at Quail Hollow.
Follow all the reaction from an intriguing final day, below:
Close!
Justin Thomas almost moves within one of the leaders with a birdie putt on the 5th. It looks good as he lets it roll but it swerves to the left at the last minute and skirts by.
If he can make another birdie the guys behind him will start to feel very nervous.
Pereira under pressure
The pressure is ramping up on Mito Pereira who can’t find any rhythm. He saved par on nine, 10 and 11 but the drop shot finally arrived on the 12th to move him alongside Cameron Young at (-6).
The Chilean is three over for the round but has the 13th up next which is a par-5. Can he score a birdie or better here to stop the rot?
Thomas hangs on
Justin Thomas (-4) errs on the par-3 14th but manages to recover to slot a six-foot putt home to save par and stay within three. If he can get into the clubhouse at five or six under he’ll have a proper chance of winning this.
Fitzpatrick falling away
It’s been a terrible start to the back nine for Matt Fitzpatrick who has bogeyed the 10th and the 11th to slump to -3 and four shots off the lead.
Zalatoris wild off the tee on 12
Will Zalatoris attempts to cut the corner by going over the trees on 12 but hooks his drive into the rough. From there he’s scrambling to make par and gets left with a long putt to avoid dropping a shot.
Criminally he leaves it short and as a result fall to five under.
Bogey for Fitz
Matt Fitzpatrick falls further behind with a bogey five on the 10th to move three behind Mito Pereira. The leader performs another class chip and putt to rescue his second par in as many holes.
These saves will be important come towards the end of the round.
Fleetwood moving up
A great chip on 17 by Tommy Fleetwood leaves him with two feet left for a birdie that he taps in without too much trouble to move to (-3).
Rory McIlroy finally gets an eight-footer to fall as he pars the final hole to end the weekend at (-2). Not the result he would have been hoping for after the first round but it’ll be another top 10 finish.
Tough work for the leaders
It’s been hard going for the leading four players today. Only Cameron Young is under par for the round and his consistent play - picking up birdies after dropping shots - may lead him all the way to the title.
Mito Pereira (-7) is two over for his round but has just made a great par save on nine. Can he click into gear on the back nine and move further ahead?
Pereira struggling on nine
Mito Pereira finds the bunker on the front edge of the green on the ninth and his pitch out of the sand finishes about 12ft from the pin.
It’s a right-to-left curler downhill and it needs to go in for par... bingo!
Great save from the leader, he’ll be feeling great after that one.
Consistent Young staying in touch
Cameron Young is hanging in with the leader and keeps creating opportunities to score. A 17ft birdie putt on the 10th is rolled right up next to the green and he knocks it in for another par.
Two holes ahead Justin Thomas (-4) is on the verge of a charge after a second consecutive birdie on 12 moves him within three of the lead.
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