PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Justin Thomas discovered the appropriate time for a near-perfect efficiency to place a tough begin to the 12 months behind him, rallying from three photographs behind with daring play to shut with a Four-under 68 and win The Gamers Championship on Sunday.

He received for the seventh straight 12 months, his 14th profession title, and have become solely the fourth participant to win a serious, The Gamers Championship, the FedEx Cup and a World Golf Championship.

Thomas known as it pretty much as good as he has ever performed tee-to-green, and he wanted it to outlast Lee Westwood, a hard-luck runner-up for the second straight week. Westwood birdied the ultimate gap for a 72 to complete one shot behind at TPC Sawgrass.

In January, Thomas uttered an anti-gay slur beneath his breath after lacking a brief putt on the Sentry Event of Champions in Kapalua, Hawaii. That led to 1 company sponsor dropping him and one other giving him a public reprimand. The one time he had an opportunity to win, he realized his grandfather died earlier than the ultimate spherical of the Phoenix Open.

“It has been a crappy couple months. I’ve had stuff occur in my life I by no means thought I would have occur,” Thomas mentioned. “Shedding grandpa was horrible, and having to play a spherical of golf coping with that, after which on high of that not enjoying effectively, it simply was loads, and it took loads on me mentally.

“This week was large to win a giant championship like this in entrance of followers once more, which is unbelievable. It examined me mentally, bodily, emotionally, and I am very pleased with myself for getting it completed.”

Like most Sundays at this championship, it was wild as ever.

Thomas was 4 photographs behind when he walked off the inexperienced on the par-Three eighth with a three-putt bogey. 4 holes later, he walked off the 12th inexperienced with a two-shot lead.

He hit a 5-iron to 20 toes to arrange a two-putt birdie on the par-5 ninth. He took on a tricky pin at No. 10 for a 6-foot birdie. He drilled a Four-iron to 20 toes for an eagle at No. 11 for his first lead of the week, and he capped off the run with a nifty pitch from behind the inexperienced on the reachable par-Four 12th for birdie.

Westwood, a runner-up final week to Bryson DeChambeau at Bay Hill, was tied for the lead Sunday till he could not match Thomas, enjoying within the group forward, on the par-5 16th.

Thomas teed it low and slung a tough, low draw that ran out some 40 yards and arrange a 5-wood into 50 toes, which he lagged down for a two-putt birdie. Westwood’s Three-iron clipped a tree and dropped into the sand, and that quirky 65-yard shot went into one other bunker and compelled him to scramble for par.

“Once you’re in rivalry, you’d prefer to win each match you are enjoying in,” Westwood mentioned after a 72. “However I did not fairly have my recreation right this moment.”

He made birdie on the 18th to complete alone in second. DeChambeau (71) and Brian Harman (69) had been one other shot behind.

Thomas completed at 14-under 274. He was exterior the lower line after 9 holes Friday, made it with two photographs to spare after which tied The Gamers Championship file with a 12-under 132 weekend.

Thomas nonetheless had another shot earlier than he was within the clear. He took on the water framing the left aspect of the 18th fairway, the ball shifting proper to left and bouncing straight off the crown of the primary lower, safely within the fairway. Solely when he noticed it on land did Thomas twirl his membership, pulling his cap over his face and wiping his forehead.

“I fought so exhausting right this moment,” Thomas mentioned. “It is in all probability the most effective rounds of my life tee-to-green. I’ve seen some loopy stuff occur on TV up to now, and I am glad to be on this aspect of it.”

All of the “loopy stuff” got here early.

DeChambeau topped a hybrid on the par-Four fourth gap that went solely about 140 yards till it plunked into the water.

“Dude! I do not know what occurred!” he mentioned to his caddie. “I’ve by no means completed that earlier than.”

From 237 yards on a ahead tee to a inexperienced protected by water, he hit a slice with a Four-iron that landed some 40 yards proper of the inexperienced.

“Oh my gosh! What’s going on?” DeChambeau mentioned.

He made double bogey and was scratching the remainder of the best way to remain within the recreation. He nonetheless had an opportunity with an eagle on the 16th gap to get inside two, however when Thomas made par on the 17th, his probabilities had been about over.

Westwood hit his tee shot into the water on the fourth gap and needed to make an Eight-footer to avoid wasting bogey. He hit his method out of the pine straw that clipped two branches and located water on the par-5 second gap to make bogey. However he was by no means distant from the lead, and Westwood regained a share of the lead with an Eight-foot birdie putt on the 14th.

His hopes ended with a three-putt bogey on the par-Three 17th.

Thomas received $2.7 million from the $15 million purse. He mentioned he was in a great place when he teed off, and he felt even higher when he was posing with the trophy.

The Related Press contributed to this report.

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