Golf: Thomas outduels Westwood to capture Players Championship

MIAMI -- Third-ranked Justin Thomas outdueled Lee Westwood down the stretch Sunday to capture the Players Championship, taking his 14th US PGA title by matching the best 36-hole comeback in tournament history.

The 27-year-old American overtook England's Westwood on the back nine with a mid-round run of three birdies and an eagle and added a crucial birdie at the par-5 16th for a one-stroke victory and his first Players crown.

"I'm so happy to be a Players champion," Thomas said. "Probably one of the best rounds of my life tee to green."

Thomas, the 2017 PGA Championship winner, hit 17 of 18 greens in regulation firing a four-under par 68 to finish 72 holes on 14-under 274 at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

"I was able to play beautifully, make some good shots and some nice putts," Thomas said. "I was fortunate to hit it well enough that a lot of my birdies were low stress."

Westwood, 47, closed with a 15-foot birdie putt to finish second for the second consecutive week with US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau and fellow American Brian Harman sharing third on 276.

"I didn't feel like my legs were working properly. Lethargic really. I paid the penalty for it," Westwood said.

"What I was pleased with was how I battled it out with not much game that I had today. I kept myself in there and gave myself a chance. Justin just didn't make any mistakes."

After the week's low round with a 64 on Saturday, Thomas equaled the lowest 36-hole close in Players history, rallying from seven strokes down at the midway mark to match the best two-round victory fightback in event history.

"This win was huge," Thomas said. "I'm really proud of how well I played."

Thomas joined Tiger Woods, Johnny Miller and Jack Nicklaus as the only players with 14 PGA wins before age 28 and was excited to do it before a limited number of spectators.

"It's hard to put into words. It has been just crazy, everything we've been through since the Players last year," Thomas said. "To do it in front of fans was incredible.

"This was a day I'll never forget."

Thomas battled controversy earlier this year, apologizing for using a homophobic slur that TV microphones picked up at January's Tournament of Champions, one that cost him a Ralph Lauren sponsorship. But he praised his team of friends and family for helping him navigate tough times.

"When you're in a tough place mentally or don't feel as great, to have a support system like that is huge," he said.

Thomas said he had gotten some advice from 15-time major winner Tiger Woods, still recovering from injuries received in a car crash, saying, "I was replaying a lot of what he told me in my head."

- 'I know he's watching' -

Thomas was in tears when recalling his grandfather Paul, who died last month at age 89, saying, "I wish I could talk to him. I know he's watching."

After seven opening pars and a bogey at the eighth, Thomas had a tap-in birdie at nine, a six-foot birdie putt at 10 and rolled in an eagle putt from just inside 20 feet at the par-5 11th to seize the lead.

Thomas drove over the 12th green and pitched back inches from the cup for a tap-in birdie to stretch his margin.

But Thomas had his shortest missed putt of the season from just inside three feet to bogey the par-4 14th and Westwood sank an eight-foot birdie putt at the 13th to share the lead.

Thomas responded by sinking a birdie putt from just inside three feet at the par-5 16th to regain the lead. After both hit tense five-foot par putts, Westwood missed a seven-foot par attempt on the famed island green at the par-3 17th to fall two back, his closing birdie too little too late.

"It proves I can still contend with these young lads out here," Westwood said. "I can still give myself a chance come a Sunday."

Westwood, ranked 31st, has 44 wins worldwide but has not won a US PGA event since the 2010 St. Jude Classic.

Sixth-ranked Bryson DeChambeau fired a 71 but dropped back early with a double bogey at the fourth.

Agence France-Presse

Golf: McIlroy wins Players Championship by one stroke in Florida

Rory McIlroy celebrated St Patrick's Day in style by becoming the first player from Northern Ireland to win the Players Championship, emerging as the last man standing to beat Jim Furyk by one stroke in Ponte Vedra, Florida on Sunday.

On a day when 15 players at one stage were within two shots of the lead, McIlroy eventually emerged from the pack, overcoming an early double-bogey by displaying enough maturity to hang tough before moving in for the proverbial kill.

McIlroy carded two-under-par 70 at the famous TPC Sawgrass course in Ponte Vedra Beach to win a championship that was first held in 1974, when it was won by Jack Nicklaus.

McIlroy finished at 16-under 272 to edge American Furyk, who with a gimme birdie at the final hole threatened to become the event's oldest winner at the age of 48.

"Sawgrass and I didn't have the greatest relationship starting off," McIlroy told reporters, referring to missed cuts in his first three appearances from 2009-11.

"It's a massive win on a course (where) I've had mixed results. I had to show a lot of character out there. Any time I looked at the leaderboard I was pleasantly surprised I hadn't fallen two or three shots behind.

"That gave me a little bit of encouragement to keep going and play a great back nine. I am just thankful that it was my turn this week."

With Furyk already in the clubhouse, the 29-year-old McIlroy knew what he had to do as he played the final three holes.

After a birdie at the par-four 15th, he used his power to reach the par-five 16th in two shots and a two-putt birdie gave him the lead.

McIlroy then safely negotiated the water-lined final two holes with tap-in pars to clinch the most prestigious tournament outside the four majors.

Furyk shot 67 to finish alone on 15-under.

FURYK DISAPPOINTED

"There's a little disappointment, thinking maybe I played well enough to win," said the American. "Rory obviously felt differently."

It was Furyk's 31st runner-up finish on the PGA Tour, the same number as Tiger Woods who has also won 80 times compared to his compatriot's 17.

Englishman Eddie Pepperell (66) and Venezuelan Jhonattan Vegas (66) finished two strokes behind McIlroy in a tie for third.

Pepperrell and Vegas sank monster birdies at the par-three 17th, Pepperell sinking a rollercoaster 50-footer before Vegas one-upped him with a 70-footer.

Overnight leader Jon Rahm floundered, the Spaniard making three bogeys in the first four holes and compounding his misery by dunking his tee shot into the water at the par-three 17th.

He shot 76 and finished equal 12th on 11-under.

McIlroy's win came after close calls at all five of his previous starts this year.

He will head to the Masters next month brimming with confidence, needing a victory at Augusta National to complete the grand slam of all four modern majors.

"I'm just really proud of myself the way I played the last few holes," he said.

"(I was thinking) why not me? This is my tournament and I've got to finish it off.

"I kept telling myself on the way to the 17th tee, just make three more good swings, that's all you need to do and this thing is yours.

"To step up and make those three good swings, it's very satisfying knowing that it's in there when it needs to be."

(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina; Editing by Ken Ferris)

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Golf: Day optimistic major back pain will not return this week

Former world number one Jason Day is cautiously optimistic his back problems will not flair up and hamper his challenge at this week's Players Championship in Florida.

The Australian, the 2016 Players champion, made it through only six holes at the Arnold Palmer Invitational last Thursday before back issues forced him to withdraw in pain.

"My long term confidence in terms of my back, I am not even thinking about it right now," Day told reporters at TPC Sawgrass on Tuesday.

"I feel really cautiously optimistic about how things are progressing and the way that I feel."

Day said last week that an MRI scan had revealed he had a tear in a disc in his lower back, which was causing him crippling pain when the problem flaired up.

"When pain starts shooting down my legs, that's obviously a no-go," he said.

"My back seizes up, and I can't really walk ... it feels like your world is ending. It feels like is this going to be the last time that I am going to pick up a golf club.

"It's not great mentally to come back from an injury so your confidence is hit a little bit, but overall I feel good about."

Day, who able to play 18 holes on Monday, said he had also spoken to Tiger Woods about having injections for back problems.

"My big concern was if I got them, how long would it last?" Day said.

"I have to be more disciplined with my physio and training ... We are all playing with some kind of aches and pains."

After withdrawing from the tournament at Bay Hill last week, Day decided to spend time with his family at Disney World.

That did not sit well with some on social media who wondered how he was unable to play, but was able to walk around a theme park.

"It was great," Day said. "When I have an injury, I get sad and depressed.

"I mean that's the biggest thing. I'm not going to be sitting in my bus depressed, and especially when the doctors tell me to go and walk."

Day said he was not going to let criticism on social media bother him either.

"I don't care, like, if people make memes about me. I think a lot of them are funny," Day said.

"I mean, it's fine. It is what it is. People trying to be funny and that, I get a good laugh out of it and I'm okay with that.

"You can tell between people that are being funny and people that are actually trying to ... that really hate you." 

(Reporting by Gene Cherry in Raleigh, North Carolina, editing Nick Mulvenney)

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Tiger fires 65, best round of year, to rise at Players

PONTE VEDRA BEACH -- Tiger Woods fired his lowest career round at TPC Sawgrass, and his best score of the year, with a seven-under par 65 Saturday to share the early clubhouse lead at the Players Championship.

The 14-time major champion took advantage of continuing hot and humid conditions to match Jordan Spieth on eight-under par after 54 holes.

The duo ended their rounds nearly 90 minutes before overnight leader and fellow American Webb Simpson was set to tee off leading by five shots at 15-under par.

The previous best Players round by Woods was a 66 while his lowest this year in his seven prior events had been a 68 as he returns to US PGA Tour play after missing most of the past two years with back injuries.

"I finally got off to a good start in birdieing the first couple of holes and I just kept it rolling," Woods said. "I played a lot of good shots out there today and it was nice to see a few putts go in.

"Overall on the whole day I just hit a lot of quality shots and a 65 was probably the highest I could have shot."

Woods had an anxious Friday afternoon wait before joining Spieth and Justin Thomas making the cut right on the one-under mark.

The 42-year old former world number one quickly lit-up the Florida course with four birdies in his opening five holes and had a huge crowd roaring with delight, cheers being heard as far as the course car parks.

Woods made the turn at six-under with birdies at seven and the ninth and went to eight-under with birdies at 11 and the short 12th hole, where he put a 40-yard chip shot to six feet.

He made his only bogey at the 14th before posting four closing pars to be tied for the clubhouse lead with Spieth, who also posted a 65.

Woods said he "felt a lot more comfortable with my driver and could be a bit more aggressive off the tees and consequently I had a lot of 9-irons and on down into the greens as the ball is just flying forever in this humidity."

"The ball is going a long way and the golf course is playing short."

If there was any disappointment in his round, Woods said it was getting himself to eight-under for his round through 12 holes but then finishing at seven-under for the day.

"I mean to be eight-under there through 12, realistically I probably could have got a couple more out of it and got to 10 for the day," he said.

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Day moves three ahead at weather-hit Sawgrass

Jason Day extended his overnight lead to three shots after 14 holes in the Players Championship second round on Friday before play was suspended for the day in fading light at the TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

The Australian world number one again took advantage of a receptive Stadium Course with very little rough and barely a breath of wind, recording birdies at the second, fourth, seventh, 13th and 14th to get to get to 14 under overall.

That put him three ahead of Ireland's Shane Lowry, who was the leader in the clubhouse at 11-under 133 after shooting a 68 that included an albatross two at the par-four 18th, where he holed out with a wedge from 120 yards in the fairway.

"It's not fun stopping and starting," Day told Golf Channel after his round was disrupted for just over two hours due to the threat of lightning when he had completed just eight holes.

"I came back out not as sharp as I was this morning."

Out in three-under 33, Day picked up further shots at the par-three 13th, where he drained a 40-foot putt, and at the par-four 14th, where his approach settled within three feet of the cup, to strengthen his grip at the top.

"I feel good about my game but the biggest thing for me is to focus on trying to extend the lead," said the 28-year-old, who has long coveted a first Players title to add to his already impressive golfing resume.

"The moment that I lose a little bit of focus and make a few mental errors and mistakes, that's when I let the field back in."

Jonas Blixt of Sweden (67), Germany's Alex Cejka (67) and American Cameron Tringale (69) were at 10 under while American Colt Knost and Rory McIlroy made the biggest moves of the day to finish at nine and eight under respectively.

Just 24 hours after Day became the fifth player to fire a record-low 63 at the event widely regarded as the most prestigious outside the four majors, American Knost followed suit with a 10-birdie display.

Knost had a chance to card a 62 and make history, but three-putted from long range on his final hole, the par-four 18th, for his only bogey.

Soon after, McIlroy was in good position to at least match Knost with a 63 as he teed off on his last hole, the par-five ninth, at nine under for the day but he wound up with a bogey to settle for a 64.

"I don't feel like I played that much differently today than I did yesterday but it's an eight-shot difference," McIlroy said. "I'm in a good position even though I finished a little bit frustratingly, but these things happen."

The cut was projected to fall at two-under 142 with defending champion Rickie Fowler (71) and world number two Jordan Spieth, also at one under after 14 holes, likely to miss out.

The second round will be completed on Saturday morning local time, with the third round to follow soon afterwards. (Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Andrew Both)

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