Lowry rues freaky Friday as another major gets away

Justin Thomas reacts on the 18th green during the final round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Aronimink Golf Club, Sunday, May 17, 2026, in Newtown Square, PA. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Justin Thomas drained a nerve-melter of a 17-footer on the 18th at Aronimink Golf Club to set the clubhouse lead and bring a third Wanamaker Trophy just about within his grasp. Asked for his instant thoughts he provided four perfect words: “I have no idea.” 

Sunday at the 108th edition of the PGA Championship was unlike any that had come before in living memory. A historically stacked leaderboard in Philadelphia did a little jockeying for position here and there but mostly stayed tight, tense and utterly impossible to predict.

As the final group prepared to make the turn there were 16 players within just three shots of the lead and six major winners among them. Right in the prime fillet of it all was Rory McIlroy, a front nine 34 leaving him in a brilliant position given the entire tournament looked to be distilling down into a battle of the short sticks and he was putting somewhat well. It could have been better though and the one guarantee was this was going to be a Sunday filled with regrets.

Thomas, who won the PGA Championship in 2017 and repeated in 2022, came home in scorching fashion, six birdies in 12 holes from the fifth to the 16th and then that potentially pivotal par on 18.

“It’s going to be tough. The thing I had going for me at Southern Hills [in 2022] was I didn't have many people between me and the lead,” said Thomas. “That is not the case this week. I definitely need some wind. I need a little bit of help. Again, I did my part, and I'm happy to wait, trust me.” 

Shane Lowry left Pennsylvania surely pondering how different things may have been had his Friday not run wildly away from him. The Offaly man closed his tournament with a 2-under 68 to sit on 2-over overall, in a tie for 45th with a couple of captivating hours still to come.

Had Lowry managed even level par in his second round his other three scores of 68, 70 and 68 would have been enough to sit in the pile of pros on 4-under. This will count as another major which got away from him in the smallest ways.

Lowry laced a stunning approach into the long ninth, scorching one into 20 feet from fully 264 yards back in the fairway and then drained the putt for an eagle which was the highlight of his Sunday. There were birdies at the sixth and 13th to go with a pair of bogeys, the first on the short eighth as the par-3s continued to torment the 39-year-old.

American Kurt Kitayama had earlier proven it would be a scoreable day as he tied the lowest final round in major championship history with a 7-under 63.

“The putter? God. I felt like I was holding the world out there,” he said. “What my eye saw that's what the ball was doing. And that's a good feeling. I think putter carried me today.”