The big Victorian was locked in a play-off for the inaugural CJ Cup in South Korea with PGA Tour Player of the Year Justin Thomas and chose to go for the win by taking aim at the island green with his second shot on the long par-5 18th hole. He didn’t quite catch the shot with his fairway wood and it finished in the lake short right of the green.

It cost him the title as Thomas subsequently found the front fringe of the green with his long second shot, leading to an easy two-putt birdie and the victory. But Leishman says it was a play he doesn’t regret making.

"Obviously disappointing to finish off that way," Leishman said. "I probably got a little bit of a lifeline on the first playoff hole and I didn't take advantage of it. You give one of the best players in the world a chance like that, he's probably going to take it. Disappointed, but second is not all bad.

Leishman salutes the crowd after making birdie on the 18th hole to reach nine under. PHOTO: Matt Roberts/Getty Images

"If you go down, you want to go down like that. You don't want to go down laying up and making par. I'd rather attack and try to take it. I would certainly sleep better at night just doing that.”

Leishman gave himself a chance of another trophy in 2017 with a birdie on the 72nd hole at the Nine Bridges course. Both players parred the first extra hole and the American grabbed his fifth PGA Tour tournament win for the calendar year – and his first of the 2018 wraparound season – when Leishman dunked his approach into the water.

FINAL LEADERBOARD

Thomas, who shared the overnight lead with countrymen Scott Brown, dropped off the pace when he made a double bogey at the long par-5 3rd hole.

“I just kept telling myself it was a bad golf swing,” Thomas said later. “It wasn’t a mental error or wasn’t a wrong judgment that we made but just a bad golf swing at a pretty bad time but I knew you are going make bogeys out here today.”

Justin Thomas gets his hands on his fifth trophy for the year. PHOTO: Matt Roberts/Getty Images

The reigning PGA Champion regained the lead on the back nine and appeared likely to collect the win outright. But a bogey at the par-3 17th forced him into making a birdie at the last to join Leishman in extra time.

“I really played some great golf after the third hole but it’s just such a long day with these conditions,” Thomas said.

Thomas said he is now looking forward to some time away from golf for a few months.

“I’m so excited to not do anything,” a weary Thomas said. “I officially have nothing left in the tank at this moment.”

Queensland’s Cameron Smith had his chances at Nine Bridges too. He finished outright third at eight under after a makeable birdie putt on the 72nd hole slid by the hole, keeping him out of the playoff. His performance in South Korea and Malaysia last week, where he finished fifth, suggests he’s not far away from a victory.