Viktor Hovland will take the bragging rights at the Copperhead Course in the Innisbrook Resort. The Norwegian had a stellar outing on day 4 carding a 4 under par to claim a 1-stroke victory over Justin Thomas. This is Hovland’s first PGA Tour victory in 574 days. Thomas also had an impressive performance on the last day recording a round-high 5 under par to move from a T4 position to a second place finish.
The 15-time PGA Tour winner is in the midst of a longer drought than Hovland, having last tasted victory at the 2022 PGA Championship. This is the third time he has come this close to a victory since then, having finished T2 at the 2014 ZOZO Championship and the recently concluded American Express. He was leading this event with three holes to go, but two bogeys on 16 and 18 pushed him behind a chasing Hovland.
However, the American golfer is prone to see the positive side of things.“I’ll take a lot of good. Way, way more good than bad. I mean, today was awesome. I felt so comfortable. I really the only — I felt like the only nervy swing I truly felt was the wedge on 16. That was the only one I felt was it was just, I was uncomfortable a little bit and kind of in the moment. But I rebounded really well with a nice bunker shot and a nice putt. One of my best swings of the day with a 5-iron on 17, and somehow that putt didn’t go in on 17 as well,” Thomas explained his mindset.
He will have his eye on the upcoming Masters and use the current momentum he has to good effect at the Augusta National Golf Course. It will be a tougher task against a stronger field but Thomas is highly optimistic. “So I’m very, very proud of myself. It sucks not winning when you’re that close and have a great chance, but I just hopefully put myself in the same position in two weeks at Augusta and finish it off better,” added Thomas.
However, despite a second-placed finish, golfing fans were not at all happy with Thomas’s performance as they believed that the University of Alabama grad could have won the event.
Fans criticize Justin Thomas’s choke job
Justin Thomas’s two bogeys on holes 16 and 18 not only pushed the momentum away from him, it also allowed Hovland to claw back in. The Norwegian recorded back-to-back birdies to inherit the solo lead. Some, like this one fan, would say that Thomas mishandled the lead. The fan took to X to express his disappointment, stating, “Justin Thomas just ruined my day. What an absolute choke job. Up 2 with 3 to play. God damn it.”
Another fan was also very vocal about Thomas letting the victory slip away. “Valspar was excellent. A stark reminder that Justin Thomas isn’t good at winning tournaments. He won’t be in a better position this season. He’s not usually actually contending, it just looks that way when he backdoors a finish. Couldn’t handle it from the front at all,” the fan explained.
This is a developing story..
The post ‘Absolute Choke Job’: Fans Give Justin Thomas a Reality Check as PGA Tour Pro Stays Optimistic Despite for Augusta Brutal Loss appeared first on EssentiallySports.
