By Christopher Powers

Justin Thomas’ breakout 2017 has extended into the new season, beating Marc Leishman in a playoff in the inaugural CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges for his fifth win since January.

Thomas and Leishman entered the inaugural CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges as the two top players in the field, Thomas ranked No. 4 in the world and Leishman occupying the 16th spot. This was never more apparent than on the 72nd hole on Sunday, when both players took dead aim at the flag with woods in their hand at the par-5 18th, each setting up makeable eagle putts to potentially win. Neither putt fell, so it was back to the 18th for a playoff after the duo finished in a tie at nine-under 279 at Nine Bridges Golf Club in Jeju Island, South Korea.

Australia’s Leishman led the way, blocking his drive miles to the right and opening the door for Thomas, who sliced his drive as well but kept it in play. After they each battled their way out of difficult situations and matched with pars, they went back to the 18th. This time, both found the fairway, and Leishman took another swipe at the green, but found the water. Thomas went for it from 243 yards out anyway, striping it once again and finding the fringe in front of the green, setting up an up-and-down birdie that earned him the victory.

For Thomas, who carded a final-round even-par 72, he’s now won seven times in his career, three of those coming in the last three months as the 24-year-old appears to be keeping his 2017 PGA Tour player-of-the-year form. Leishman’s two-under 70 on Sunday wasn’t enough to win, but he continues an incredible stretch of golf with this week’s solo second finish. Since he missed the cut at the Players Championship in May, he has made 14 out of 15 cuts, including one win, four top-10s and four top-25s.

New event.
Same @JustinThomas34.

JT wins THE CJ CUP on the second playoff hole! ?#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/yBJpJvbosr

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) October 22, 2017

Leishman played the final round alongside fellow countryman Cameron Smith, who had an excellent look at birdie at the par-5 18th to also grab a spot in the playoff. His putt just slid by, leading to a tap-in par for a two-under 70, getting him into the clubhouse one shot back at eight-under 280. After missing five of seven cuts to end his 2016-’17 campaign, Smith has opened this season with a T-5 and a solo third finish.

Whee Kim, playing in the first PGA Tour event in his home country, finished in solo fourth at six-under 282 after posting consecutive even-par 72s on the weekend. It’s Kim’s best result since the FedEx St. Jude Classic last June, where he tied for second.

Coming off a win at the CIMB Classic, Pat Perez put together another strong week in Asia, capped off by a bogey-free four-under 68 on Sunday, his low round of the tournament. He finished in a tie for fifth at five-under 283, giving him his fifth T-6 or better finish in addition to his two victories in the last year alone.

Also at five under were Anirban Lahiri, Scott Brown, Jamie Lovemark, Brian Harman and Luke List.

Patrick Reed, Jason Day, Rafa Cabrera Bello and South Korea’s Byeong Hun An finished five back at four-under 284.

The post Justin Thomas defeats Marc Leishman on second playoff hole to win the CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Christopher Powers

Most weeks, following up a nine-under 63 with two rounds in the 70s would send a tour pro way down the leader board on the PGA Tour, giving them a deficit many wouldn’t be able to recover from. For Justin Thomas, a 74 and Saturday’s two-under 70 has been more than enough regain a share of the lead at nine-under 207 in the windy conditions at Nine Bridges Golf Club in Jeju Island, South Korea. It was so difficult in fact, that the FedEx Cup champion even impressed himself with Saturday’s performance.

“You can’t put it into words, but I know for a fact I played better today than I did on Thursday when I shot nine under,” Thomas said. “It’s just so hard out here, I’ve never played a place where the wind swirls as much as it does here.”

Despite that, Thomas still hit 12 of 18 greens, 11 of 14 fairways and needed just 28 putts on the challenging putting surfaces at Nine Bridges. His round began with a birdie and six pars, before making a costly double-bogey 6 at the par-4 eighth. Thomas rebounded, going two under on his final 10 holes to take back his Thursday lead.

“I knew that I would have to stay patient, and I did,” he said. “Today was a round I felt like I had at the end of the year, where I felt really like I was playing my best.”

If he’s able to find his best on Sunday, that gives the rest of the field an uphill battle to climb. A win would make it seven in Thomas’ nascent career, all coming within the last two years.

Also at nine under is Scott Brown, who carded a one-under 71 with three birdies and two bogeys. It’s his third-straight start of the 2017-’18 season, already having registered a top-25 in the CIMB Classic. Brown is looking to win for the second time in his PGA Tour career, the first coming at the 2013 Puerto Rico Open.

Two back at seven-under 209 are Presidents Cup teammates Anirban Lahiri and Marc Leishman. Lahiri’s three-under 69 was one of the strongest rounds of the day, while Leishman’s one-under 71 gives him three consecutive rounds of even par or better. They’ll play together in the penultimate group on Sunday in South Korea, with India’s Lahiri hoping to break through for his first career victory and Australia’s Leishman looking to notch his fourth.

Cameron Smith, Lucas Glover and South Korea’s Whee Kim sit three back in a tie for fifth at six-under 210.

The round of the day belonged to another South Korean, Byeong Hun An, who shot a five-under 67 that has him just four back at five-under 211. He’s joined by 36-hole leader Luke List, who struggled on Saturday, posting a four-over 76.

Six players are at four-under 212, including Kyle Stanley, Brian Harman and Paul Casey.

World No. 9 Jason Day is at three-under 216, six shots behind Thomas.

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