Justin Thomas Says 'No Lead' Is Safe After Historic 2022 PGA Championship Comeback

Justin Thomas winning the PGA Championship on Sunday came as a massive surprise to many after he faced a seven-shot deficit heading into the final round.

But after his victory, Thomas told CBS Sports' Amanda Balionis that his comeback didn't shock him that much.

"It's funny, I was asked early in the week about what lead is safe, and I said, 'No lead,'" Thomas explained. "This place is so tough, but if you hit the fairways, you can make birdies, and I stayed so patient. I just couldn't believe I found myself in a playoff."

After shooting a three-under 67 in the final round, Thomas defeated Will Zalatoris in a three-hole playoff to win the second PGA Championship of his career following his 2017 victory. Mito Pereira held the lead after the first three rounds, but he faltered with a five-over 75 on Sunday. Thomas tied for the largest final-round comeback in PGA Championship history, joining John Mahaffey's 1978 performance.

A key moment in the playoff for Thomas came on the 17th hole when he drove the ball off the tee to within 35 feet and dropped it in for a two-putt birdie. He then made par on the 18th to secure the win.

"That was a nice one," Thomas admitted. "The wind off the left with the 3-wood isn't exactly my favorite. So, I hit a beautiful shot in regulation in that bunker like we wanted to, and I hit essentially the same shot, just had a little bit more cut on it, and for it to go up on the green was nice to put probably a little bit of heat on Will. I don't know, I like these 17th holes in the PGA Championship, so I'd like to keep making a habit of that."

This was the first playoff in a major since the 2017 Masters, when Sergio Garcia defeated Justin Rose, ending the longest streak in major championship history at 19 straight majors without a playoff.