Justin Thomas is one round away from ending a nearly three-year winless streak on the PGA Tour. As a result, he now finds himself on top of the RBC Heritage by a stroke following an eventful trip around Harbour Town. Thomas has a brilliant aggregate score of 15-under 198. He now trails Andrew Novak – though Novak is set up to launch a vigorous comeback of his own in round three.
The day had a surprisingly fruitful and unfortunate fate for Thomas. The former Georgia Bulldog shot a steady 69 on the day, ending with a key tenacious knee-knocker of a 15-foot birdie putt. His day was no walk in the park. As if all that isn’t crazy enough, while playing from a waste area on the par-5 second hole, he picked up a one-shot penalty. He called in the rules official over to explain that his ball actually just moved a little bit. This occurred as he was sweeping loose gravel away from it.
Even with these challenges, Thomas was sharp and mentally tough in every aspect of his round. He pulled it off, proving his skills, determination and grit. Glaring names followed him as well, like past British Open victor Brian Harman and Tommy Fleetwood. Both of them provided very serious challenges.
When Thomas walked onto the 18th tee, he was three shots behind Novak. He did well to leave the green just one shot back, including a beautiful long-range two-putt that paved the way for an electric finish. This solid play was enough to ensure he’d be in the last group on Sunday. He’ll be going up against Si Woo Kim, who displayed equally impressive skills all tournament long.
“I’m really pleased with how I played today. I did well enough to get into the final group with Kim,” Thomas said after his round. He’s currently gearing up for the championship day of the tournament. His aim is to manifest his first PGA Tour win in just under three years.
In an interesting turn of events, Si Woo Kim expressed satisfaction with his performance, stating, “I played great — only missed the last hole, so that’s not a big deal.” This hopeful outlook is emblematic of the high-flying, free-wheeling competitor’s edge that has defined this year’s RBC Heritage.
The globally-beloved tournament comes to its exciting final day. More important, all cameras will be pointed at Justin Thomas and Andrew Novak as they duke it out for the title. The thrill of competition is evident with only one stroke between them. Golf fans are palpating at the prospect of finally seeing Thomas clinch that long-overdue first win.
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