Justin Thomas criticizes Women’s PGA Championship officials after putting final group on the clock

The 2022 PGA Championship winner, Justin Thomas, criticized officials on the LPGA Tour over the weekend after women in the final group of the 2022 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, including eventual winner In Gee Chun, were put on the clock with two holes remaining in the round. 

“I’m all for helping slow play, but putting those ladies on the clock with 2 holes left trying to win a major seems like a good read the room situation and don’t put them on the clock,” Thomas wrote on Twitter. 

One user pointed out that the round had almost gone on for six hours, to which Thomas responded: “That on the other hand is also an issue haha.” 

IN GEE CHUN HOLDS ON TO TAKE HOME WOMEN’S PGA CHAMPIONSHIP 

Lexi Thompson, who was in that final grouping, was notified immediately after the final hole that both she and Hye-Jin Choi were fined $2,000 for slow play, according to Golfweek. 

Slow play was an issue this weekend at the Congressional Country Club in Washington, D.C. According to multiple reports, Saturday’s broadcast was cut short after the final group finished in five hours and 45 minutes. 

It was a tough end to the day for Thompson, who held a two-shot lead after the front nine but was undone by four bogeys in a six-hole stretch to tie with Chun ahead the final two holes. 

Thompson hasn’t won an LPGA Tour event since 2019, and her lone major victory came as a teenager at Mission Hills in the California desert in 2014. She’s certainly had chances. She lost a five-stroke lead during the final round of last year’s U.S. Women’s Open at Olympic Club.

 

Chun won her third major championship, finishing at 5-under 283, barely enough to beat out Thompson (73) and Minjee Lee (70) by a stroke.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.