Seems like Justin Thomas discovered his consolation zone once more
MEDINAH, Ailing. — Justin Thomas is as perplexed as anybody as to why he hasn’t received in additional than a 12 months.
Golf is a troublesome sport, with its share of peaks and valleys, and quite a few different gamers are grabbing their share of victories. So nothing was ever assured.
However Thomas had collected 9 PGA Tour wins by means of final season, together with a significant championship. He reached No. 1 on this planet as lately as two years in the past. He performed on Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup groups.
And but, by some means, he has made it to the second-to-last occasion of the season and not using a win, and dropped to 10th on this planet heading into the second FedEx Cup playoff occasion on the BMW Championship.
“It is bizarre,” he mentioned. “It has been an odd season simply because I’ve missed three tournaments (as a consequence of harm). However the distinction with this season and every other season is I might received. I am enjoying simply nearly as good as every other 12 months, for positive.”
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Maybe he saved his greatest for — virtually — final.
Thomas started the third spherical of the BMW Championship on Saturday with 5 consecutive birdies at Medinah. He eagled the 10th after which holed out for an additional eagle on the 16th. He made only one bogey and shot a course-record 61 to guide by six over Tony Finau and Patrick Cantlay.
It put him firmly in place to win his 10th PGA Tour title and first since he captured the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone in 2018. At that occasion, it had been a number of months since his earlier win, which appeared lengthy sufficient.
However this period of time and not using a trophy has felt everlasting. Three tournaments missed as a consequence of harm — together with the PGA Championship in Might — did not assist.
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“Man, that type of sucked, [that] three-event stretch,” he mentioned of a wrist harm that sidelined him beginning with the Wells Fargo Championship and together with the PGA and Memorial. “I used to be enjoying so good. I simply drove the ball higher than I’ve ever pushed it at Augusta and I simply was type of like I’m now. I’ve been trending and I really feel method higher with my putter than I did then.
“All the things is fairly related, however simply placing it higher. The frustration was extra so then. Now it is simply understanding that it is golf and it should occur. Is perhaps tomorrow, may be in Asia (later this fall), may be in 2021. I do not know when it should occur. However I do know I’ve put in — me and my crew have put in– the correct work that we’re ready once we are put in that state of affairs and that state of affairs is [Sunday].”
Thomas, 26, has gone low earlier than, capturing 59 in Hawaii and matching the then-U.S. Open scoring report of 63.
However there was some success alongside the way in which, too, on Saturday at Medinah. Thomas hit his ball within the water on the 15th, the place he then wedged it shut to avoid wasting par. Holing out from 180 yards, as he did on the 16th, is just not widespread. He additionally chipped in for a birdie on the 14th.
And if he wants any reminder of how fickle the sport could be, Hideki Matsuyama — who shot 63 on Friday — was the 36-hole chief and now finds himself 10 pictures again.
Justin Thomas broke the course report AND received in Brooks Koepka’s pockets?! Yep. I requested him about all of it.
Maybe essentially the most tenuous second for Thomas on Saturday was when he knocked a 5-wood shot on the par-5 10th from 260 yards to only Three-feet, establishing what gave the impression to be a straightforward eagle putt.
“Truthfully, there was this man, I put my ball down and once I put it down he yelled, “Noonan,” Thomas mentioned, making a reference to a line from the film Caddyshack that’s meant to distract a participant. “I used to be scared he was going to say one thing whereas I used to be placing, I am like, ‘Man, does this man hate me?’ I used to be simply terrified he was going to do one thing.
“Fortunately he did not and I made it. So I used to be clearly in an amazing way of thinking with that putt.”
Thomas ought to be feeling fairly good about successful once more, too. He has a cushty lead and is about up to enter subsequent week’s Tour Championship atop the standings and in place to win the FedEx Cup for the second time in three years.
“I could not care much less, to be trustworthy,” he mentioned. “I am simply nervous about making an attempt to win this event [on Sunday].”