Thomas beats Reed, Schauffele in Tournament of Champions playoff

Justin Thomas survived a "disaster" at the 72nd hole before beating Patrick Reed and Xander Schauffele in a three-way playoff at the PGA Tour's Sentry Tournament of Champions in windswept Hawaii on Sunday.

Thomas clinched victory with a three-foot birdie at the third extra hole, the par-five 18th, at the Kapalua Plantation course on Maui.

Schauffele was eliminated at the first hole of sudden death while Reed fell two holes later as the 26-year-old Thomas earned his 12th PGA Tour victory.

He had one hand on the trophy with a one-shot lead playing the final hole of regulation but hooked his three-wood second shot into a penalty area and could not find his ball in the waist-high tropical grass.

He made a bogey for a four-under-par 69, while Schauffele had a three-putt par, missing a seven-footer for the win, and carded 70.

They fell into a playoff with Reed, who earlier shot 66, at 14-under 278.

"For some reason I was supposed to win this week," Thomas said in a greenside interview after sinking his winning putt in semi-darkness.

"I got very, very lucky to even have that putt. I got very fortunate, but I also stuck to my process and tried to stay positive.

"Through 15 holes it was one of the best rounds I've ever played. I was in such control, tee to green, putting beautiful, my irons were awesome and then 18 was a disaster. It worked out so I can't complain."

Reed three-putted the second extra hole from the fringe and then missed an eight-foot birdie at the third playoff hole, his mood hardly helped when a spectator screamed "cheater" as his ball slid by the hole.

Reed has been in the spotlight since being hit with a two-stroke penalty for improving his lie in a waste bunker during last month's Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.

Schauffele, who had been on the verge of successfully defending his title, said: "I should have won it.

"I know it, everyone knows it. I should have closed it out and didn't.

"I kind of did everything I was supposed to until the last moment.

"I know I'm good enough to hang with the best. I just need to be a little smarter when the time is right and I would have closed it out."

FINAL-ROUND SCORES

x-won at 3rd playoff hole, USA unless noted, par-73

278 - x-Justin Thomas 67-73-69-69, Patrick Reed 72-66-74-66, Xander Schauffele 69-68-71-70

281 - Patrick Cantlay 69-71-73-68

282 - Rickie Fowler 68-71-74-69, Joaquin Niemann (CHI) 66-72-74-70

283 - Dustin Johnson 72-71-71-69, Collin Morikawa 71-71-70-71, Gary Woodland 73-69-69-72

284 - Jon Rahm (ESP) 69-73-70-72

285 - J.T. Poston 70-71-71-73, Matthew Wolff 69-72-71-73

286 - Lanto Griffin 71-71-72-72

288 - Cameron Champ 73-74-69-72, Matt Kuchar 68-74-71-75, Kevin Kisner 72-72-68-76

289 - Ryan Palmer 71-72-75-71, Sebastian Munoz (COL) 72-75-72-70

290 - Corey Conners (CAN) 73-70-74-73, Paul Casey (ENG) 74-72-69-75, Tyler Duncan 69-78-68-75, Nate Lashley 71-71-71-77