Justin Thomas wins RBC Heritage for 1st PGA TOUR victory since 2022

Justin Thomas made a 21-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole to beat Andrew Novak at the RBC Heritage on Sunday.

The victory marks Thomas' first since the 2022 PGA Championship, a span of 1,064 days.

*Won on first playoff hole

"Winning's hard," a relieved Thomas said after his victory. "It's really, really hard. I've worked my butt off, stayed patient, stayed positive. I've got a great wife, great team, a great daughter. Just take it for granted sometimes when you get on those runs. I didn't realize how much I missed winning. Battling out there today was so much fun."

He added: "I'm really, really proud of myself today. ... I've never made a putt to win a tournament before. I've been fortunate to have a lot of tap-ins, but I've never made a putt. That was pretty cool, that was as fun as I thought it'd be."

Thomas' winning putt wasn't the only electrifying shot he made during the final round. The 31-year-old sank a birdie putt from over 24 feet away on the 15th hole to take a one-stroke lead, but Novak matched him with a birdie on No. 16.

Novak was in pursuit of his first PGA TOUR victory but missed an 8-foot birdie putt on No. 18 to set up the playoff against Thomas.

Scottie Scheffler, meanwhile, finished among a group tied for eighth at 12-under par. He recorded three bogeys Sunday, including a double on No. 15.