A round of golf lasts 18 holes and a professional competition usually 72 holes. And it is not until the last putts have gone in that it is over.

Just ask Justin Thomas, who finished the WGC competition in Memphis, Tennessee in the best way, and was awarded both the trophy and the news that he is the new world number one.

When the entire top trio after the third day played away at TPC Southwind, the 27-year-old took the chance. He could see birdie after birdie fall in and in the end only the American himself could prevent a 13th victory on the professional tours.

Then Brooks Koepka had just missed the chance to get a nerve on the final hole. After a birdie on the 17th, the American had the opportunity for a special game, but the shot on the last hole ended up in a water obstacle. Koepka thus shared second place with a trio of other players, all three strokes behind Thomas, who finished at minus 13.

- This means a lot, especially the way I did it, says Thomas in the victory interview and reveals that he did not look at the scoreboard until after hole 13.

- In the past, I have struggled more when I have come from behind, and started counting on how far behind I was and how many were before me,

13 is also the number of professional victories for the 27-year-old, who is a few months younger than what Rory McIlroy was when he took his 13th victory in 2016. Only Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus were younger than Thomas is when they stood for as many professional victories.

Henrik Stenson finished the competition in the same way as the previous rounds - stable, without losing strokes but also without shining.

A lowered ten-meter putt on the eleventh hole gave the first birdie of the round. It was followed by another birdie and a bogey for a total of one stroke during par for the day and -3 in total. With that, Stenson shared 35th place in Memphis.

The competition's second Swede, Sebastian Söderberg, had a less successful day and finished 77th, eleven over par.

Next weekend, the first major of the year, the PGA Championship, will be played in San Francisco.

CLIP: Sagström: "It will be great fun" (July 29, 2020)

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