CHARLOTTE, N.C. -The 99th PGA Championship played at Quail Hollow marked the final major for 2017.

"I finally got one like you, " Thomas said told Spieth as they embraced. "I was just disappointed the way I played", Matsuyama said.

"But at the end of the day, this was really cool". I know that "major champion" will never be taken away from after my name. When I asked him how the PGA Championship compared, he griped, "There's no Bojangles'".

Thomas, 24, came into the final round two shots back of leader Kevin Kisner and in a tie for fourth place.

But this year belonged to Thomas, who carded a three-under-par final round of 68 to finish eight under at Quail Hollow.

Matsuyama bogeyed the 13th for his third successive bogey, but he bounced back with two birdies.

Of the 23 players who have played the hole, there have been two eagles, 15 birdies, five pars and only one bogey.

A monster putt for birdie on the ninth was followed by a lingering birdie putt on the 10th that hung over the lip for what seemed like an eternity (in reality only seconds) before falling in. and, then, on the 13th, he chipped in for another birdie to separate himself from what had been a five-way tie for the d and ultimately march on through the Green Mile to a two-stroke victory over Louis Oosthuizen, Patrick Reed and Francesco Molinari. He struggled with the speed of the greens, and his putting was below his standards. "I never dreamed of him winning the PGA Championship".

Thomas said he found it "awesome" to see his friends waiting for him on 18. "Had to be unbelievable watching today in terms of spectating and sitting at home watching on TV". But Bud stuck around for an entire 18 holes, not knowing what would happen and I think that kind of shows where the game is right now and where all of us are. In fact I was not even close to it. He won the CIMB when I was in contention late past year and then won the Hawaii double and now the PGA. One very highly placed American official told me: "Golf is the only sport where we expand the field of play to accommodate changes in the game".

I spoke to Thomas about Fowler in March when Fowler won the Honda Classic. It is nearly perverse that Fowler has yet to get over the line at a major, considering how many times he has been in contention, while Patrick Reid - Mr Stars and Stripes himself - at last has a major top 10 to his name with his tie for second. These connections to opportunity play out in more critical ways throughout our city every day-it's the basis of work being done by the Opportunity Task Force-the big difference here at the golf tournament being that the things people had access to were superficial, and nobody's children went to bed hungry.

Big events feed life into this growing city, and they confirm our status as an important destination on a map. Instead of playing a low running high percentage chip and run shot, Reed opted to play a lofted wedge and the ball stopped considerably short of the hole. I talk to my ball a lot and any time it's going somewhere, I didn't wish it would, I probably say, "get lucky" or something. He won the 2010 British Open and now, after Sunday's result, he has finished in second place at each of the four majors.

McIlroy ended another season without a major by revealing he has felt spasms from a muscle in his upper back the last few weeks. Spieth was the only repeat victor in that span by winning the British Open in July.

It's been awhile since we have seen the year's final major, the PGA Championship, become one of the year's most challenging majors, and that hasn't gone unnoticed by the players.

By that logic, the 79-time tour victor Tiger Woods is not very successful - he has lost roughly three out of every four starts he has made as a pro on the PGA Tour.

And now, with a Wannamaker Trophy to add to his collection, Thomas also adds another fond memory from the state of North Carolina.