Rolex Testimonee Justin Thomas has claimed an unforgettable victory at the 104th PGA Championship at Southern Hills Country Club, claiming the iconic Wanamaker Trophy for the second time, after winning an extraordinary championship playoff.
Thomas secured his second PGA Championship adding to his 2017 victory after precision play in a three-hole aggregate playoff to determine the 2022 PGA Champion at Southern Hills Country Club. The playoff was the first in a men’s Major championship since 2011 and with this triumph, the World No. 5, Thomas showed the composure and precision required to win, edging his competitor by one stroke after a total of 75 holes played. The playoff for the Wanamaker Trophy was contested on holes 13, 17 and 18 with both players scoring birdie on the first hole, but Thomas edged to victory with a birdie on the second and his resulting par on the last playoff hole rewriting his name into the PGA Championship history books. In winning the 2022 PGA Championship Thomas, became just the sixth golfer in history to come back from seven strokes or more in a final round to capture a Major title.
As a result of winning this momentous Championship, which featured 156 of the world’s top players, the 29-year-old American secured the second Major title of his career and 16th worldwide victory joining an esteemed group of players to have won the PGA Championship more than once including Rolex Testimonees Gary Player (1962, 1972), Jack Nicklaus (1963, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1980) and Tiger Woods (1999, 2000, 2006, 2007).
Following Sunday’s final day of play, Justin Thomas, said:
“I really tried to play the golf course for what it was, and I had a good feeling. Just walking up 18 in the playoff, I knew it wasn’t over, but I looked up and I wanted to take it in because you don’t know when and if it’s going to happen again. The list of champions at this place speak for themselves and when you get good golf courses like this and been on the list of champions at this golf course is very special because all those others have been able to do that and its definitely nice to be able to do it after Tiger Woods in 2007.”
Renowned for its pristine greens, strategic hazards and slender, meandering fairways, which places a premium on accurate iron-play, Southern Hills played host to the Championship for the fifth time in its history, more than any other host venue, for four days of exceptional golf. With rounds of 67, 67 and 74, Thomas roared back from seven strokes down after 54 holes, to close with a final-round 67 finishing with a five-under-par total of 275 that led to the three-hole playoff, with Thomas winning by one stroke from the international field.
Rolex’s long-standing support for golf spans over 50 years, including a presence as the Official Timekeeper and Official Partner at the PGA Championship, with Justin Thomas adding his name to a long list of Testimonees to have lifted the Wanamaker Trophy in recent years including Jason Day (2015), Martin Kaymer (2010), Brooks Koepka (2018, 2019) and Phil Mickelson (2005, 2021).
NOTES TO EDITORS
ROLEX TESTIMONEE PGA CHAMPIONSHIP WINNERS:
Gary Player (1962, 1972)
Jack Nicklaus (1963, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1980)
Tiger Woods (1999, 2000, 2006, 2007)
Phil Mickelson (2005, 2021)
Martin Kaymer (2010)
Jason Day (2015)
Justin Thomas (2017, 2022)
Brooks Koepka (2018, 2019)
ABOUT ROLEX AND GOLF
Rolex is committed to the permanent quest for excellence in all its endeavours and has been a long-term supporter of golf in its pursuit of the same. The brand’s enduring relationship with the sport began more than 50 years ago, in 1967, when Arnold Palmer, joined by Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, became the brand’s first golfing Testimonees. Known together as The Big Three, these legendary players changed the face of golf forever, and their partnership with Rolex marked the beginning of a relationship based on the shared commitment to continuous improvement and unwavering precision. Since then, the affiliation has grown and flourished, permeating every level of the game worldwide. From elite players and golf legends, to all the game’s Major championships, where success represents the pinnacle of achievement in the sport, as well as the foremost professional tours and worldwide amateur championships, Rolex is ever-present. In 2021 Rolex further deepened its support by becoming a Worldwide Partner of The Ryder Cup, to act as Official Timekeeper at every iteration of the sport’s pre-eminent team competition. The Swiss manufacturer’s support for the game is built on a strong sense of integrity and respect for tradition that promote the continuity of expertise and transfer of knowledge, and an understanding of the importance of investing in the sport’s development for future generations.
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