Justin Thomas' immediate reaction as glorious chance to end PGA Tour drought goes begging

Justin Thomas says it's 'hard to sum up' how he feels after he let a glorious chance to end his winless drought on the PGA Tour slip through his fingers. 

Thomas was sweating the 36-hole cut at the Valspar Championship but tore round Innisbrook Resort's Copperhead Course on Saturday to set up an opportunity to claim his first win since the 2022 US PGA Championship at Southern Hills. 

But the American faltered down the stretch, making two bogeys out of his final three holes to allow Norway's Viktor Hovland the chance to end his dry spell. 

Hovland - who had not won since the 2023 Tour Championship at East Lake - hit a terrible tee shot down the last but it mattered not, given he had a two-shot lead. 

The European Ryder Cup star's closing bogey was enough to seal a one-shot victory over Thomas. 

"It's probably hard to sum it all up right now," Thomas told reporters, adding that Hovland played 'an unbelievable round'. 

Thomas found himself out of position on the par-4 16th hole and did well to only drop one shot. 

His birdie putt from 16 feet also burned the edge of the cup on the par-3 17th.

And he was left with work to do after pulling his tee shot left on the last. 

He sent his approach into the greenside trap and was unfortunate not to get up-and-down for par, once again watching his golf ball graze the edge.

"It sucks bogeying the last hole, but [I just have to] look [at the] big picture," Thomas said. 

Asked what he will take away from the week, Thomas said: "I'll take a lot of good. Way, way more good than bad. I mean, today was awesome. I felt so comfortable. 

"I really the only -- I felt like the only nervy swing I truly felt was the wedge on 16. 

"That was the only one I felt was it was just, I was uncomfortable a little bit and kind of in the moment. But I rebounded really well with a nice bunker shot and a nice putt. 

"One of my best swings of the day with a 5-iron on 17, and somehow that putt didn't go in on 17 as well. So I'm very, very proud of myself. 

"It sucks not winning when you're that close and have a great chance, but I just hopefully put myself in the same position in two weeks at Augusta and finish it off better."