Justin Thomas Wins the RBC Heritage in a Playoff to End a 1,064-Day Drought

For 1,064 days, Justin Thomas kept saying he was close. On Sunday at Harbour Town, with a 21-foot putt in a playoff, he finally got to prove it.

Thomas shot a bogey-free 3-under 68 to finish at 17-under 267, then beat Andrew Novak with a birdie on the first playoff hole to win the RBC Heritage. It is his 16th PGA TOUR title and his first since the 2022 PGA Championship at Southern Hills. Daniel Berger, Mackenzie Hughes, Brian Harman and Maverick McNealy tied for third at 14 under, three back.

No Bogeys, No Panic

Thomas began the day one shot behind 54-hole leader Si Woo Kim and played the kind of round Harbour Town demands: no mistakes and enough birdies to stay in the fight. He picked up his first at the par-5 5th, a 7-footer after a wedge. At the 8th, he found trouble off the tee, hit 7-iron out of the trees and rolled in a birdie putt from inside 15 feet.

The shot that put him back in front came at the par-5 15th. After laying up, Thomas hit an ordinary approach that settled more than 20 feet away, and his putter did the rest. That birdie got him to 17 under, and from there he parred 16, 17 and 18 on dry, fast greens and waited.

It was a crowded leaderboard for much of the afternoon, and at one point four players shared the lead, per the AP. Kim, who started the day in front, could not keep pace and slid to a 74, finishing in a tie for eighth.

Novak's Brave Push

Novak was the one who would not go away. Playing one group behind Thomas in the final pairing, Novak got a few good breaks in the trees, saved par from a sandy lie at the 11th, and played the back nine without a bogey. At the 16th, Novak rolled in a 16-foot birdie putt to tie Thomas at 17 under.

Then came the moment that will stick with Novak. On the 18th, with Thomas watching from the scoring area, Novak stuck his approach to about 8 feet for birdie and the win. The putt did not drop. Novak signed for 68 and a spot in a playoff.

One Hole, One Putt

The playoff went back to the 18th, with the lighthouse looming behind the green. Both players found the putting surface. Novak went first from about 35 feet and left it short. That gave Thomas a look from just outside 20 feet.

He buried it, then sent his putter flying in celebration.

"That was pretty cool," Thomas said, per the AP. "That was as fun as I thought it would be."

Novak took the loss about as gracefully as anyone could. "I'm not as frustrated as I thought I would be," Novak said, per the AP. "Justin just went out and won it. There's nothing you can really do about it."

What This One Means

The numbers show how deep the drought went. Thomas missed the FedExCup Playoffs in 2023, a year in which he put enormous pressure on himself to make the U.S. Ryder Cup team, and he was left off the Presidents Cup team in 2024. He came to Hilton Head ranked No. 8 in the world, off a tie for 36th at the Masters, and working with a fill-in caddie, Joe Greiner, while Matt Minister recovers from a back injury.

He leaves with $3.6 million from the $20 million purse, 700 FedExCup points, a move to No. 6 in the world and a place inside the top six in the Ryder Cup standings, per the AP.

"I didn't realize how much I missed winning," Thomas said on the 18th green, per the AP. He went further later. "I think it was the last thing missing, if you will," Thomas said. "At least for me, I felt like it was the last thing that I needed to do for my own well-being."

His family was behind the green to celebrate with him, according to the PGA TOUR.

Scheffler Still Searching

Scottie Scheffler, the defending champion, started four back and made a run with three birdies in a short stretch around the turn. It ended at the par-5 15th, where, needing an eagle, he took on a risky shot, found the water and made double bogey, per the AP. He shot 70 and tied for eighth with Kim and Russell Henley at 12 under.

"I think I'm really close," Scheffler said. "I feel like I did a lot of things well this week, just a few of the important shots I just didn't pull off."

Tommy Fleetwood finished alone in seventh at 13 under, and Berger closed with a 65 to jump into the tie for third.

The Takeaway

Thomas opened the week with a course-record-tying 61, held the 36-hole lead, survived a penalty and a water ball on Saturday, and closed with a bogey-free Sunday under real pressure. That is not a fluke. That is a former world No. 1 remembering who he is.

The drought is over. The question now is what Thomas does with the momentum.

Catch up on the whole week: Round 1, Round 2 and Round 3. Final results are on the official PGA TOUR leaderboard (opens in a new tab), and the PGA TOUR's final-round story (opens in a new tab) has more.

Sources: PGA TOUR, AP, CBS Sports, Golf News Net. More golf coverage on Undrafted.

Photo: PGA TOUR.