In three of the previous four times the Leachman Buick/GMC KHSAA Boys State Golf Tournament's come to Bowling Green this decade, a playoff has been necessary to decide the individual champion.

After Wednesday, make that four out of five times.

Justin Thomas, who earlier this year made the 36-hole cut at the PGA TOUR's Wyndham Championship, led St. Xavier to its record 18th state title with a 2-under-par 70 in the final round Wednesday at Bowling Green Country Club.

His effort helped give the Tigers a one-shot victory over Lexington Christian, but it wasn't enough to clinch the individual title. Like Thomas, the Eagles' Hunter Stewart went 72-70 for a total of 142 over the two-day tournament. Darkness prevented Thomas and Stewart from having a playoff for the individual crown Wednesday night, so they'll return to the course for a sudden-death playoff beginning Thursday at 7:15 a.m.

Thomas looked to have the individual title easily secured with just six holes to play. He birdied four of his first five holes in the final round, then birdied the par-4 9th hole to go out in 5-under-par 31. It gave him a four-shot lead after entering the round trailing Russellville's Paul Sansom by two strokes.

But Thomas ran into trouble on his back nine - double bogeying the par-3 13th and bogeying the par-5 14th - and didn't make a birdie on the back side.

Stewart, meanwhile, went out in 1-under-par 35 and bogeyed the par-4 10th hole to fall back to even par. He responded with birdies at the 12th and 14th, though, to move into a tie with Thomas before the two - who were paired together in the final round - posted matching scores on each of the final four holes.

The drama late in the round capped a long day for both golfers. A four-hour rain delay during Tuesday's first round forced completion of that round on Wednesday morning. Neither player managed to play more than five holes in his first round before play was suspended.

Lost somewhat in the tight competition between Thomas and Stewart - and that between their two teams - was a very good performance from South Central Kentuckians in the tournament.

After leading by two strokes through the first round, Sansom was still 2-under for the tournament through six holes Wednesday afternoon. But he double-bogeyed the 7th hole and bogeyed the 9th to fall to 1-over, where he finished with sole possession of 3rd place. Monroe County's Matthew Anderson, who won the boys' Region Three tournament, shot rounds of 74 and 75 to finish at 5-over and in a tie for 5th place.

From a team standpoint, Russellville went to sleep Tuesday night with a four-shot clubhouse lead over Greenwood. The Panthers ultimately ended up in 5th place through the first round but couldn't sustain their performance, slipping to 9th. The Gators, who tied for 8th through the first round, played pretty well in the second round and moved up to a 7th place finish.