Page 15 - Golf Champion -Apr 2021

BRYSON DECHAMBEAU

ONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- Justin Thomas found Thomas still had one more shot before he was in the
Pthe right time for a near-perfect performance to put clear. He took on the water framing the left side of the
a rough start to the year behind him, rallying from three 18th fairway, the ball moving right-to-left and bouncing
shots behind with bold play to close with a 4-under 68 straight off the crown of the first cut, safely in the fairway.
and win THE PLAYERS Championship on Sunday. His approach landed on the fringe -- the first green he
Thomas becomes only the fourth player to win a major, missed all day -- leaving a simple two-putt for par and the
THE PLAYERS Championship, the FedExCup and a 14th victory of his PGA TOUR career.
World Golf Championships, and it couldn't have come at "I fought so hard today," Thomas said. "It's probably one
a better time. of the best rounds of my life tee-to-green. I've seen some
He called it as good as he has ever played tee-to-green, crazy stuff happen on TV in the past, and I'm glad to be
and he needed it to outlast Lee Westwood, a hard-luck on this side of it."
runner-up for the second straight week. Westwood All the crazy stuff came early.
birdied the final hole for a 72 to finish one shot behind. Bryson DeChambeau, coming off a win last week at
Thomas went birdie-birdie-eagle-birdie around the turn, Bay Hill, topped an iron off the tee on the par-4 fourth
and put away Westwood for good with a pair of lag putts hole that went only about 140 yards until it plunked into
from 50 feet -- one for birdie on the par-5 16th to take the the water. From 237 yards on a forward tee to a green
lead, another on the island-green 17th for a par. protected by water, he hit a slice with a 5-iron some 40

BRYSON DECHAMBEAU & LEE WESTWOOD SUNGJAE LIM

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