Thomas prevails in playoff to win Nationwide Children's Hospital

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Justin Thomas won the Nationwide Children's Hospital Championship on Sunday for his first Web.com Tour title, beating Richard Sterne with a birdie on the first hole of a playoff after Sterne blew a late three-stroke lead.

Thomas hit a wedge from 79 yards to 2 feet to set up his winning birdie on the par-4 18th. Sterne missed a birdie putt after leaving his approach 20 feet short and right.

Playing the four-event Web.com Tour Finals for PGA Tour priority after wrapping up a tour card with a top-25 finish on the Web.com regular-season money list, Thomas earned $180,000 to jump from fifth to third with $470,470 with one event left.

"It's crazy of all the chances I've had, how this one worked out," Thomas said. "That how it happens. It just happened to be my week. It's a pretty awesome feeling."

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The 21-year-old former Alabama player closed with a 1-under 70, parring the final seven holes to match Sterne at 6-under 278 on Ohio State's Scarlet Course.

Thomas, from Louisville, Kentucky, was the 2012 college player of the year as a freshman and led the Crimson Tide to the 2013 NCAA title.

Sterne, at No. 82 the highest-ranked player in the world in the series, bogeyed Nos. 15-17 and parred the 18th for a 70. The South African earned $108,000 for a Finals total of $111,800, more than enough for a PGA Tour card. He got a spot in the series as a non-PGA Tour member who would have been 126th and 200th in the FedEx Cup standings.

Sterne is a six-time European Tour winner and 2013 Presidents Cup player. He had hip surgery in March and was sidelined four month.

The top 25 players on the Web.com regular-season money list are competing against each other for PGA Tour priority, with regular-season earnings counting in their totals and the final leader getting a spot in The Players Championship. The other players -- Nos. 26-75 from the Web.com Tour money list and Nos. 126-200 in the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup standings -- are fighting for another 25 cards based on their earnings in the four tournaments.

If a player from the top 25 on the Web.com regular-season list leads the series but not the combined Web.com list, he would cross over to the Finals list and get a full exemption.

Seam O'Hair was third at 5 under after a 67.

The Web.com Tour Championship is next week in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.