Justin Thomas recorded the lowest 72-hole total in PGA Tour history at Waialae Country Club this week, wrapping up the Sony Open in 253 shots.
‘It’s been an unbelievable week,’ he said. ‘This win meant a lot because of how I did it. It’s my first wire-to-wire win and I had a hard time getting focused out there today. To be able to handle it the way I did, I was very proud of.’
He became the youngest player in that tour’s history to shoot 59 on Thursday, then set the 36-hole scoring record the following day with a round of 64.
The 23 year old then carded 65 for both of his weekend rounds to break the previous record total of 254, which was set by Tommy Armour III at the 2003 Texas Open.
Thomas won the SBS Tournament of Champions last week after beating Hideki Matusyama by three shots and this week he obliterated the competition for a seven-stroke victory. He was 49 under par for his two weeks in Hawaii.
‘It was a very fun week and I can’t get over how fast these two weeks have gone by,’ said Thomas. ‘I played some great golf and I’m really excited about where my game is at and how comfortable I’m feeling out there.’
‘I felt like I was trying to win a tournament for second place,’ said Jordan Spieth, who finished sole third on 19 under par. Justin Rose went on shot better and was second.
Branden Grace shook off the rust from Christmas with four rounds in the 60s and finished tied for 13th on 13 under par. He battled in at the Tournament of Champions last week, but is clearly back in the groove.
Rory Sabbatini shot 63 on Thursday for an early hold on third place, but faded at the weekend and shared 45th place on nine under par.