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Thomas ended the 2016/17 season with five victories, his first major title and the FedEx Cup – and there wasn’t any letting up of this form at Nine Bridges in South Korea.
The 24-year-old began the day in a share of a lead with Scott Brown, but it wasn’t a straight-forward victory for the top ranked player in the field, who carded a double-bogey on the par-five 3rd hole – which he put down to a bad swing.
With three birdies on the 9th, 10th and 11th holes, the FedEx Cup Champion successfully bounced back to regain the lead until a dropped shot on the 13th. A further bogey dropped him one shot adrift of Leishman, who had birdied the 18th having just missed his chance for eagle.
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But Thomas wasn’t holding back, missing his own eagle putt on the final hole but securing the necessary birdie to force a play-off against Leishman, edging one shot ahead of Zurich Classic champion Cameron Smith.
Watch the best three shots from the final round of the CJ Cup below
Leishman pushed his tee-shot on the first play-off hole (the par-five 18th) far right behind a wall, and it would have been easy to write the three-time PGA Tour winner off. However, he responded in phenomenal fashion, and it was advantage to the 33-year-old when Thomas’ conservative play left him in the green-side bunker for three, while Leishman found the putting surface for the same number of shots.
A missed putt for Leishman was matched by a Thomas up and down to force the second play-off hole, but second time around Thomas ended up with a tap in birdie for victory after his opponent found the water with his second.
“I really played some great golf after the third hole but it’s just such a long day with these conditions,” Thomas said.
Thomas said he is looking forward to some time off after his breakout season.
“I’m so excited to not do anything,” Thomas said. “I officially have nothing left in the tank at this moment.”
Driver: Titleist 917D2 (Mitsubishi Chemical Diamana BF 60TX shaft), 8.5 degrees
3-wood: Titleist 917F2 (Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei CK Blue 80TX shaft), 15 degrees
5-wood: Titleist 915Fd (Fujikura Motore Speeder VC 9.2 Tour Spec X shaft), 18 degrees
Irons: Titleist 716 CB (4-iron; True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shaft), Titleist 718 MB (5-9; True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts), Titleist Vokey SM6 (46-10F degrees; True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shaft)
Wedges: Vokey SM5 (52-12F and 56-14F degrees; True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts), Vokey SM6 (60 degrees; True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shaft)
Putter: Scotty Cameron X5 Flow Neck Prototype (SuperStroke Pistol GT Tour grip)
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
