Justin Thomas retains CIMB Classic title
Razak Chik
October 23, 2016 21:38 MYT
October 23, 2016 21:38 MYT
PM Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak (right) and Datuk Seri Nazir Razak (left) after presenting the trophy to Justin Thomas (centre), making him the champion of the 2016 CIMB Classic. - Photo courtesy of CIMB Group Holdings Berhad
A VAST improvement in form yielding a bogey-free final round was just the tonic needed for American Justin Thomas to retain his CIMB Classic title.
Trailing by four strokes going into Sunday, a flurry of birdies in the first 10 holes at the TPC Kuala Lumpur gave him a three stroke victory over Japanese golfer Hideki Matsuyama.
Thomas led on Thursday and Friday, only to surrender day 3 to India’s Anirban Lahiri with a modest 71. Indian Lahiri blotted his score sheet in the final round with a quadruple bogey nine on the par-five third hole.
A final round of 67 propelled Derek Fathauer up the leaderboard, finally sharing third with Lahiri.
Thomas’ feat mirrors that of Ryan Moore who won the CIMB Classic twice in a row in 2013 and 2014, making them the tournament’s only winners since it earned joined the PGA Tour family.
His four-day total of (-23) did not quite match last year’s effort where the 23-year-old American recorded a 72-hole tournament’s best record of 26-under-par).
This CIMB Classic victory brings with it 500 FedExCup points for Thomas who now leads in the standings with 575 points early into the season.
CIMB Classic 2016 Final-round Leaderboard;
Justin Thomas 64-66-71-64 – 265 (-23)
Hideki Matsuyama 69-64-69-66 – 268 (-20)
Derek Fathauer 64-70-68-67 – 269 (-19)
Anirban Lahiri 66-66-65-72 – 269 (-19)