Kapalua stages more drama
Wild two-hole swing made for close call in Thomas’ victory
Justin Thomas hits off the Kapalua Plantation Course’s 16th tee Sunday on the way to winning the SBS Tournament of Champions. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo
Justin Thomas watches his penultimate shot of the tournament, a putt on the 18th green — he birdied the hole and won by three strokes. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo
Hideki Matsuyama, shown watching his chip shot for eagle on the Kapalua Plantation Course’s 14th hole Sunday, leads the FedEx Cup standings and is ranked sixth in the world. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo
Justin Thomas hits off the Kapalua Plantation Course’s 16th tee Sunday on the way to winning the SBS Tournament of Champions. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo
Justin Thomas watches his penultimate shot of the tournament, a putt on the 18th green — he birdied the hole and won by three strokes. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo
Hideki Matsuyama, shown watching his chip shot for eagle on the Kapalua Plantation Course’s 14th hole Sunday, leads the FedEx Cup standings and is ranked sixth in the world. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo
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KAPALUA -- The Kapalua Plantation Course keeps finding new ways to provide excitement.
This time, the drama down the stretch of the SBS Tournament of Champions came not from a finish full of fireworks, but from a two-hole span that included shots remarkable for both quality and costliness -- and then a decisive mistake by the player trying to mount a comeback bid.
In the end, it was Justin Thomas who retained the lead he had at the start of the final round, and lifted the Norfolk Pine trophy.
"It's a great feeling," Thomas said Sunday after shooting 4-under-par 69 to finish at 22-under 270, defeating Hideki Matsuyama by three strokes.
On a course made tougher by rains leading up to the event and changing wind conditions during competition, Thomas had the highest final-round score for a Maui winner since Vijay Singh carded a 70 in 2007, one way in which this year's tournament was a departure from more recent events.
In part because of the conditions, no scoring records were in jeopardy, as was the case last season when Jordan Spieth won at 30 under, one shot shy of the PGA Tour mark for a four-round event.
A comeback win seemed possible, but it would have been about Matsuyama overcoming bogeys on two of his first four holes Sunday -- unlike what Patrick Reed did in 2015, closing with a 67 and then defeating Jimmy Walker on the first extra hole, or the way Zach Johnson charged from behind with a bogey-free 66 in 2014.
Sunday had a different kind of theatrics.
Thomas led Matsuyama by five shots after a birdie on the 13th hole, but Matsuyama eagled the 14th and Thomas had a double bogey on No. 15. Two holes later, however, Matsuyama's three-putt bogey ended any doubt -- he finished with a 70.
Matsuyama, who had won his previous three starts, was left looking for ways to improve.
"Along with my full swing, I'll concentrate on the short game," he said.
One of Thomas' takeaways, meanwhile, is that he can find a way to hang on.
"I had some woes there the second part of the nine, but I stuck it out to still get it done," he said.
* Brad Sherman is at sports@mauinews.com.
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Pro Golf
WORLD RANKINGS
1. Jason Day 10.57
2. Rory McIlroy 9.64
3. Dustin Johnson 9.36
4. Henrik Stenson 8.56
5. Jordan Spieth 8.00
6. Hideki Matsuyama 7.98
7. Adam Scott 6.44
8. Patrick Reed 5.49
9. Alex Noren 5.30
10. Bubba Watson 5.02
11. Danny Willett 5.00
12. Justin Thomas 4.88
13. Rickie Fowler 4.86
14. Sergio Garcia 4.65
15. Paul Casey 4.62
16. Justin Rose 4.33
17. Brooks Koepka 4.26
18. Branden Grace 4.24
19. Russell Knox 4.17
20. Jimmy Walker 4.03
21. Matt Kuchar 4.03
22. Phil Mickelson 4.02
23. Tyrrell Hatton 3.63
24. Charl Schwartzel 3.62
25. Emiliano Grillo 3.56
26. Louis Oosthuizen 3.52
27. Brandt Snedeker 3.49
28. Rafael Cabrera Bello 3.45
29. Matthew Fitzpatrick 3.34
30. J.B. Holmes 3.31
FEDEX CUP LEADERS
Points Winnings
1. Hideki Matsuyama 1,150 $3,088,000
2. Justin Thomas 1,114 $2,722,167
3. Pat Perez 751 $1,861,685
4. Brendan Steele 648 $1,383,038
5. Mackenzie Hughes 616 $1,315,738
6. Rod Pampling 556 $1,299,847
7. Cody Gribble 481 $1,152,195
8. Russell Knox 382 $894,334
9. Scott Piercy 351 $830,664
10. Luke List 329 $765,190
11. Daniel Berger 320 $925,576
12. Brooks Koepka 316 $774,800
13. Gary Woodland 316 $826,751
14. Patton Kizzire 300 $648,000
15. Chris Kirk 281 $707,957
16. Ryan Moore 279 $633,507
17. Keegan Bradley 270 $616,167
18. Lucas Glover 266 $627,933
19. Henrik Stenson 258 $787,000
20. Anirban Lahiri 241 $551,300
21. Paul Casey 240 $494,800
22. Derek Fathauer 232 $533,086
23. Camilo Villegas 230 $473,890
24. Bill Haas 224 $546,750
25. Emiliano Grillo 219 $465,334
26. Francesco Molinari 211 $508,133
27. Charles Howell III 199 $438,757
28. Billy Horschel 196 $419,100
29. Chez Reavie 193 $422,534
30. Blayne Barber 191 $409,514