WARRNAMBOOL golfer Marc Leishman has fallen agonisingly short of his third PGA Tour win of the year.
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A mixed bag in a sudden-death playoff with American Justin Thomas relegated Leishman to second at the inaugural CJ Cup in South Korea on Sunday.
Thomas claimed his sixth tour win of the calendar year with a birdie putt on the second playoff hole.
Leishman showed grit to bounce back from a horror tee shot on the first playoff hole.
He found the fairway after threading a shot through the trees and remarkably had a chance to win with a putt.
He didn’t convert and both players parred the hole, forcing a second playoff.
Leishman found the water with his second shot, handing Thomas the ascendancy and ultimately the victory.
Both players finished the four-round tournament at nine-under par.
Emerging Australian Cameron Smith finished third, a shot back.
Leishman put himself a strong position after shooting a six-under par 66 opening round.
He followed up with rounds of 72, 71 and 70 to be in the hunt.
The runner-up finish continued a rich run of form for the Virginia Beach-based pro.
Leishman, who this year welcomed a third child with wife Audrey, won the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March – just his second PGA Tour victory and first since 2012.
He prouced a wire-to-wire finish in the BMW Championship in September which followed a third-place result in the Dell International.