WiretoWire: Justin Thomas wins second PGA Championship

FORT WORTH, Texas — Kevin Kisner birdied the first three holes on the back nine to take the lead and held on to win at DEAN & DELUCA despite a Sunday charge by defending champion Jordan Spieth. Kisner shot a 4-under 66 to finish at 10-under 270, including a clutch par save on the 18th hole after a wayward tee shot and an approach that was off the back side of the green and well below the hole. He finished a stroke ahead of Spieth, Sean O’Hair and Jon Rahm. Spieth shot a bogey-free 65, and was standing on a chair to see over the crowd at the 18th green when Kisner putted up the mound to 5 feet of the cup and then made the winning putt. That came right after Rahm’s 10-foot birdie chance skirted just to the left of the hole. The 33-year-old Kisner got his second PGA TOUR victory in 148 starts since his debut in 2011, and a check for just more than $1.2 million. He was a runner-up twice this year, and six times over past three seasons. Kisner had a three-stroke lead at the turn on the final day of the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March before finishing a stroke behind Marc Leishman. Kisner made a nearly 95-foot chip-in for eagle to get him and fellow Aiken, South Carolina, resident Scott Brown into playoff at the Zurich Classic’s new team format before losing to the Australian duo of Cameron Smith and Jonas Blixt on the fourth extra hole. After a 14-foot birdie at the 420-yard 15th hole at Hogan’s Alley, Kisner had a two-stroke lead. That at the same hole where Spieth, playing two groups ahead of him, punctuated an 11-foot birdie putt with a fist pump. But about the same time Kisner made a bogey at the par-3 16th, Spieth was hitting his drive way right at the 18th hole and went on to save par after a chip to 5 feet. Kisner hit a similar drive, and also saved par. Spieth, who had missed consecutive cuts at THE PLAYERS Championship and the AT&T Byron Nelson, was trying to become the only player other than Ben Hogan to win consecutive Colonials. Hogan won five times, including the first two in 1946 and 1947, along with consecutive wins again in 1952 and 1953. O’Hair and Rahm, who the last two years won the Ben Hogan Award as the nation’s top college player, both shot 66. There were several near misses for Spieth, who started the day five strokes behind 54-hole leader Webb Simpson. Spieth had birdies on the first two holes before a nearly 20-footer lipped out at the 453-yard No. 3 hole. He also just missed a 12-footer at No. 9, and a 25-footer at the 446-yard 12th hole rolled over the left edge of the cup. Simpson, the 2012 U.S. Open winner, was the 54-hole leader by two strokes, but started the final round with an unusual bogey at the par-5 first hole. His only birdie came at No. 9, and he bogeyed the 18th when he drove into the left rough after Kisner had already posted his final putt. Simpson had a 71 finish fifth at 8 under. Steve Stricker, the 2009 Colonial winner who turned 50 this year, shot a 63 to move from a tie for 32nd to a tie for seventh for 6 under. He had eight birdies his first 14 holes Sunday, on track to challenge the Colonial course record of 61 and maybe even a 59, before a bogey and three closing pars.

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The PGA TOUR heads back to Detroit for the third edition of the Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club. The tournament was one of the first in the TOUR’s Return To Golf in 2020 and saw Bryson DeChambeau win by three shots over Matthew Wolff. DeChambeau returns to defend his title alongside a field full of TOUR stars. FIELD NOTES: Reigning PGA Championship winner Phil Mickelson will make his tournament debut; it will mark his first start in Michigan since 2002… Players in the FedExCup top 10 include defending champ DeChambeau and Jason Kokrak, both two-time winners this season… Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama will play the Rocket Mortgage Classic for the third year in a row as 13 major champions are set to play including Jason Day, who held the 36-hole lead at the Travelers Championship… Sponsor Exemptions include college stars Austin Eckroat and Davis Thompson, plus Flint, Michigan native Willie Mack III. FEDEXCUP: Winner receives 500 FedExCup points. COURSE: Detroit Golf Club (North), par 72, 7,370 yards. Detroit GC’s North course, a Donald Ross design, was opened more than a century ago. The club underwent an upgrade recently as it prepared for the TOUR’s arrival in 2019. It’s the flattest course on TOUR, according to ShotLink data, and while the front-nine is tree-lined, the back nine is open for birdies in bunches – DeChambeau closed with three straight a year ago. STORYLINES: Matthew Wolff will be back in action in Detroit looking to improve on his runner-up result from a year ago. Wolff took two months away from golf to focus on his mental health but returned to finish T15 at the U.S. Open… PGA pro Jeff Roth, 63, will play after the Michigan PGA voted that his exemption for winning the 2019 Michigan PGA Professional Championship should carry over into 2021. The exemption was cancelled in 2020 because of COVID-19 protocols. Roth is a member of the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame, having won more than 70 pro tournaments… Fans return in 2021 after the event was held without them during the height of the pandemic… Nate Lashley, who had lost his parents and college girlfriend in a plane crash, won after being the last player into the field in 2019… DeChambeau emerged from the TOUR’s COVID-19 break 40 pounds heavier and considerably longer off the tee last year… Rickie Fowler looks to break a long winless drought, while Will Zalatoris aims for his first victory, which would give him full PGA TOUR status. 72-HOLE RECORD: 263, Nate Lashley (2019) 18-HOLE RECORD: 63, Nate Lashley (2019, first round), J.T. Poston (2019, second round) LAST TIME: DeChambeau, who had been playing better than anyone after the COVID break, won by three with a 7-under 65. Matthew Wolff birdied holes 12, 13, and 15 to cut the lead to one, but DeChambeau finished birdie, birdie, birdie to leave no doubt. It marked his sixth TOUR win and was his seventh straight top-10 finish. Kevin Kisner finished in solo third while Ryan Armour, Adam Hadwin, Tyrrell Hatton, and Danny Willet rounded out the top five. HOW TO FOLLOW (All times ET) Television: Thursday-Friday, 3 p.m.-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel). Saturday-Sunday, 1 p.m.-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3 p.m.-6 p.m. (CBS). PGA TOUR LIVE: Thursday-Friday 6:45 a.m.-6 p.m. (Featured Groups), Saturday-Sunday 8:15 a.m.-3 p.m. (Featured Groups). Saturday-Sunday 3 p.m.-6 p.m. (Featured Holes). Radio: 12 p.m.-6 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, 1 p.m.-6 p.m. (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com/liveaudio).

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JEJU ISLAND, South Korea (AP) — Brooks Koepka shot a 5-under 67 Saturday to take a four-stroke lead after three rounds of THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES. Koepka had a three-round total of 13-under 203. Ian Poulter, who shot 68 Saturday, was tied for second place with second-round leader Scott Piercy, who had a 72. Justin Thomas shot a 71 Saturday and is at 1-under, 11 strokes behind Koepka and tied for 43rd. There were six golfers tied for fourth, including Rafa Cabrera Bello, who shot 65 Saturday, and first-round leader Chez Reavie (70). Shubhankar Sharma of India had the round of the day, a 64, to move to 3-under, 10 strokes behind Koepka.

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