Justin Thomas won the 2022 PGA Championship in a playoff. We’ll get to the trappings and the trimmings, but first, a nod to those who did not.

There is no epic poem yet written for golfers who come close, but have a place in history snatched from them by the unforgiving hand of fate. There is no Casey At The Bat for Jean Van de Velde, or Mike Donald, for Bob May, or Ed Sneed. Perhaps there is a quiet table with comfortable chairs, where the lighting isn’t so harsh that Scott Hoch, or Len Mattiace, or even Colin Montgomerie, has to shield his eyes from the blinding glare powered by the press, the fans, and the golfer’s own aspirations. They came so close, they had both hands nearly wrapped around one of golf’s fabled trophies, only to have their grasp loosened and the prize, spirited away.

Mito Pereira took an unwanted seat at that table this afternoon. He lost his final tee shot to the right, on the same hole that stole the US Open aspirations of Stewart Cink and Mark Brooks in 2001. Brooks had already won a major title at Valhalla, while Cink would drive a dagger through golf history in 2009, winning an Open championship at Tom Watson’s expense. History will reveal whether Pereira’s place at the banquet is a permanent one, or if he was just passing through, like the mysterious stranger he seemed for the majority of this week.

After Pereira’s closing six lowered his total from six-under to four-below, Justin Thomas and Will Zalatoris were left precious little time to wonder what had just happened. The two went off to the par-five 13th hole, to begin their aggregate overtime for the 104th PGA Championship. From there, they would proceed to the dramatic 17th and the diabolocial 18th. Both Zalatoris and Thomas had played the trio of holes in identical figures in regulation: 5-3-4. No knowledge nor supposition to be gained there.

JT hits the green on 17!#PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/Eu0xti8Rsm

— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 22, 2022

It made perfect nonsense, then, that both would birdie the first playoff hole. On the second playoff hole, Thomas was able to make birdie after driving the green. Zalatoris was unable to match, and the 2017 PGA Championship winner marched to the third playoff tee with a one shot advantage. Zalatoris hit the drive that Pereira craved in regulation, but he was unable to find a second birdie to extend the extra session. Thomas was able to tap in for par and earn a second PGA Championship.

How did everyone get here, and what ultimately got the job done for Thomas? Let’s begin with the second question, which might shed some light on the first. It’s the greatest of ironies that the week that should have belonged to Phil Mickelson, the defending champion, instead became a validation of the prowess of his former looper. Professional caddies are equivalent to goaltenders in the National Hockey League. If you find yourself a great one, you can ride into the playoffs. If you stumble onto a legendary one, you might skate around the rink with a Stanley Cup.

Justin Thomas’ wisest career move was securing the services of Jim “Bones” Mackay. Thomas is a world-class talent, but having a hall-of-fame jock shouldering the bag and assisting with the decisions, suggests an even greater chance at success. How did Thomas post three-under par over his final nine holes on Sunday, to set a clubhouse bar? Let’s just say that Bones had a bit to do with it. Is this an indictment of the porters who work for Zalitoris, Pereira, and Young? Absolutely not. It’s an affirmation that Bones really is a difference-maker.

Mito Pereira did, sadly, what nearlys and almosts do. He found a way to add five strokes to par on Sunday, capped by his sorrowful finish. Cameron Young deserves credit for following his double at the 70th hole, with a birdie at the 71st. He came that close to joining Thomas and Zalatoris in the playoff. He now has a top-three finish in a major on his resume. Having grown up on the Sleepy Hollow Country Club course along the Hudson, Young will feel at home on the fairways of Brookline in June.

As for Zalatoris, he simply cannot come any closer to a victory nor a major championship. What he needs to find is the extra gear that allows him to follow birdies at three and four on Sunday with more birdies, not a pair of bogeys, as happened this time. Just like that, Zalatoris had gone from hunter to hunted; he has to remain the hunter until the 72nd green.

As for Thomas, talk will now move to whether he can evolve his game to manage a victory at one of the other three major championships. His wins at Quail Hollow and Southern Hills demonstrate an affinity for strong and classic layouts. That description fits the majority of courses on the major championship rotations, so the answer lies with him. For now, let’s celebrate a second major title for Justin Thomas.

Justin Thomas is your 2022 #PGAChamp.@JustinThomas34 pic.twitter.com/TMUlufEtJ5

— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 22, 2022