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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Justin Thomas wasn’t about to feel sorry for himself, not after his dismal opening round at The Players Championship, not after getting as hot as he ever has, not after he didn’t just make the cut here at TPC Sawgrass but now has gotten himself onto the fringes of contention.
After Thomas pushed his tee shot into the thick rough to the right of the 18th hole Friday, he knew yet another birdie – what would have been his 12th of the day – was likely out of the question. Now, he just wanted to punch out short of the green, rely on one of the game’s best short games to save par, and get into the house with a course-record 61 that would have represented one of the most dramatic single-day turnarounds in recent memory.
Instead, for perhaps the only time all day, he didn’t execute the shot. The gnarly rough shut down the clubface, and the ball shot low and left and hot, scooting along the cambered fairway and into the pond short of the green. He clipped a perfect pitch shot to get up-and-down for bogey, tying the course record set two years ago by Tom Hoge (ironically, while playing alongside Thomas).
“I’m in no way, shape or form letting that dwell on the great round I had today,” Thomas said.
Nor should he, of course.
Thomas needed to birdie his last two holes Thursday just to break 80.
It was one of his worst ball-striking days ... um ... ever?
He was dead-last in the field in driving, losing nearly five shots to the field.
He was nearly dead-last in approach play, hitting just five greens in regulation.
“It was a fluke,” Thomas said.
And so he had no trouble disregarding it. After a few years of battling his swing and tumbling from the game’s elite, Thomas is very clear on his path ahead. His approach play – always his greatest strength – is back at an elite level. Six of his last nine starts have gone for top-10s. He’s back inside the top 10 in the world.
Thomas was upset at the score and the result, sure, but more so at his attitude. At his course management and strategy. How he’d make the wrong decision and then compound the mistake shortly thereafter.
“That’s the kind of stuff that pisses me off,” he said.
None of that stuff happened Friday at TPC Sawgrass. He wasn’t proud of any particular shot or stretch; it was how present he stayed. He called that one of Scottie Scheffler’s greatest assets, going shot-by-shot, and that’s how Thomas felt inside the ropes. Fully engaged. Not looking forward, yet still hunting for more.
“I hadn’t done it that well in a round in a really long time,” he said.
Now, opportunity abounds.
Thomas soared from a tie for 134th all the way inside the top 30. He’s just seven shots off the lead, with hellacious winds expected on the weekend. Teeing off several hours before the final groups, he knows he could post a low number Saturday and wait for the lead to come back to him.
Sound familiar?
That’s what happened in 2021, when he hung a third-round 64 and followed it up with a Sunday 68 to win.
“I’m just happy to be playing, dude,” he said. “Obviously I’m thrilled, and I’ll take as much of this as I possibly can, but once I tee it up tomorrow, it’s the Coach (Nick) Saban effect – 24 hours, enjoy it, and I’ve got a tee time tomorrow. That’s all I care about, and I’m just going to try to get back after it.”
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After Thomas pushed his tee shot into the thick rough to the right of the 18th hole Friday, he knew yet another birdie – what would have been his 12th of the day – was likely out of the question. Now, he just wanted to punch out short of the green, rely on one of the game’s best short games to save par, and get into the house with a course-record 61 that would have represented one of the most dramatic single-day turnarounds in recent memory.
Instead, for perhaps the only time all day, he didn’t execute the shot. The gnarly rough shut down the clubface, and the ball shot low and left and hot, scooting along the cambered fairway and into the pond short of the green. He clipped a perfect pitch shot to get up-and-down for bogey, tying the course record set two years ago by Tom Hoge (ironically, while playing alongside Thomas).
“I’m in no way, shape or form letting that dwell on the great round I had today,” Thomas said.
Nor should he, of course.
Thomas needed to birdie his last two holes Thursday just to break 80.
It was one of his worst ball-striking days ... um ... ever?
He was dead-last in the field in driving, losing nearly five shots to the field.
He was nearly dead-last in approach play, hitting just five greens in regulation.
“It was a fluke,” Thomas said.
And so he had no trouble disregarding it. After a few years of battling his swing and tumbling from the game’s elite, Thomas is very clear on his path ahead. His approach play – always his greatest strength – is back at an elite level. Six of his last nine starts have gone for top-10s. He’s back inside the top 10 in the world.
Thomas was upset at the score and the result, sure, but more so at his attitude. At his course management and strategy. How he’d make the wrong decision and then compound the mistake shortly thereafter.
“That’s the kind of stuff that pisses me off,” he said.
None of that stuff happened Friday at TPC Sawgrass. He wasn’t proud of any particular shot or stretch; it was how present he stayed. He called that one of Scottie Scheffler’s greatest assets, going shot-by-shot, and that’s how Thomas felt inside the ropes. Fully engaged. Not looking forward, yet still hunting for more.
“I hadn’t done it that well in a round in a really long time,” he said.
Now, opportunity abounds.
Thomas soared from a tie for 134th all the way inside the top 30. He’s just seven shots off the lead, with hellacious winds expected on the weekend. Teeing off several hours before the final groups, he knows he could post a low number Saturday and wait for the lead to come back to him.
Sound familiar?
That’s what happened in 2021, when he hung a third-round 64 and followed it up with a Sunday 68 to win.
“I’m just happy to be playing, dude,” he said. “Obviously I’m thrilled, and I’ll take as much of this as I possibly can, but once I tee it up tomorrow, it’s the Coach (Nick) Saban effect – 24 hours, enjoy it, and I’ve got a tee time tomorrow. That’s all I care about, and I’m just going to try to get back after it.”
Continue reading...
