Justin Thomas wins 2021 Players Championship

MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE - AUGUST 02: Justin Thomas of the United States looks on after winning the World Golf Championship-FedEx St Jude Invitational at TPC Southwind on August 02, 2020 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Justin Thomas of Louisville, KY entered the fourth and final round of the Players Championship outside of Jacksonville, Florida in contention, at -10, but not the player that was the focal point of the conversation. That is because the talk was all about 47-year-old Lee Westwood of England and American Bryson DeChambeau, whose drives off the tee have made headlines over the last month.

After round three at Sawgrass on Saturday, Westwood was at -13, and DeChambeau was at -11.  It was expected that Westwood and DeChambeau would continue their momentum on Sunday, after Westwood shot an impressive four-under-par 68 and DeChambeau had a score of five-under-par 67 in the third round. The pair were also in the final group of the Arnold Palmer Invitational a week ago, which saw DeChambeau post a four-round score of -11 to beat Westwood by a single stroke.

However Westwood and DeChambeau each got off to a slow start on Sunday. Westwood had three bogeys in the first eight holes, while DeChambeau had a double bogey on the fourth hole and a bogey on the eighth hole.

The inconsistency of Westwood and DeChambeau helped pave the way for Thomas, the 2017 PGA Championship winner. Thomas, who posted a 72-hole score of -14, shot a fourth-round score of 68 to come back and beat Westwood by a single stroke and DeChambeau by two strokes. American Talor Gooch and England’s Paul Casey were tied for fifth at -11.

By winning the Players Championship, Thomas won a spectacular $2.7 million. It was the 14th title of his career, and second straight win over an Englishman. At the 2020 World Golf Championship-FedEx  St. Jude Invitational in Memphis, Thomas beat Tom Lewis of England by three strokes.

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