Monday 26 February 2018 01:29, UK
Justin Thomas birdied the first extra hole to snatch a tense victory over Luke List on the final day of the Honda Classic in Florida.
Thomas held his nerve to rattle in the winning putt from three feet as light faded, clinching his eighth PGA Tour title after a final round in which bold challenges from European Tour stars Tommy Fleetwood and Alex Noren came up just short.
Tiger Woods threatened to pressure the leaders as he birdied three of the first eight holes to get within three of the lead at the time, but a bogey at the ninth halted his charge and the former world No 1 would again falter at the Bear Trap as he slipped back to level par.
List produced an impressive recovery from a two-over front nine and hauled himself back into contention with three birdies on the inward half, including one at the last which Thomas matched to force extra holes, with both finishing on eight under.
But List was unable to go at the green in two after a wayward drive back at the 18th tee, while Thomas found the first cut and then drilled a superb hybrid to 25 feet to set up a legitimate eagle chance.
And after List misread his birdie putt from 12 feet, Thomas safely two-putted to secure his first victory of 2018, following his sensational five-win performance last year which earned him the FedExCup crown on top of his maiden major victory at the PGA Championship.
Fleetwood was one of several players to have been in a share of the lead after he responded to a bogey at the sixth with back-to-back birdies, and he suddenly found himself alone at the top of the leaderboard on the back nine as his rivals faltered.
But the charismatic Englishman, who has been immensely popular with the Floridian crowds this week, misjudged the pace of the 14th green and three-putted from 40 feet for bogey, and another shot went at the next after he bunkered his tee shot, splashed out to six feet and missed the putt.
Fleetwood did manage to close with a birdie at the last for a round of 69 to post six under for the week, but Noren was already in the clubhouse on seven under after the Swede returned a battling 67.
Noren birdied the third, fourth and eighth as he cruised to the turn in 32, but his chances of a first PGA Tour title took a hit early on the back nine when he three-putted the 11th green and an errant drive at the 13th led to another bogey.
He bounced back with a birdie at 14 and he climbed back into a share of the lead when he drained a 35-foot putt for birdie at the 16th, but he was unable to find a four at the last after pulling his second shot into a tricky lie in the rough, and he would have to settle for outright third.
Woods gave his legion of fans plenty to cheer on the front nine, starting with a 20-foot putt for birdie at the first and he added another from half that distance on the fourth.
The 42-year-old then closed to within three of the lead when he converted from eight feet at the eighth after hitting a goose on the fairway with his tee shot, but his momentum stalled at the ninth as his five-foot par putt lipped out.
Woods got back on track with a birdie at 14, but his race was run at the next as he found water off the tee and ran up a double-bogey five, and a further blemish followed at the next before he parred in for a 70 to finish alone in 12th on level par.
