As he works to improve his form, PGA Tour player Justin Thomas has acknowledged that he “took for granted” how good he was in his early career.
During a period in which he won his first major championship before the age of 25, Justin Thomas claims he “took for granted” how good he was.
Thomas’s performance thus far this year paints a mixed picture going into the Wells Fargo Championship.
Three times out of the nine starts he has made, he has placed among the top 10. Three cuts have eluded him as well.
The golfer hasn’t been the towering figure of consistency to which we’ve grown accustomed, for whatever reason.
The good rounds have been excellent, but the bad ones were terrible even by his standards.
Consider the 2024 Masters, where he appeared certain to make the cut in the second round but mysteriously lost seven shots over the last four holes to miss the weekend by one and move the line.
Thomas has tried to make some difficult choices in an effort to improve the situation. He broke up with renowned caddie Jim “Bones” Mackay, to start with.
A new driver is also in the bag, he also told GOLF earlier this week, and it has already resulted in an increase of 10 yards off the tee.
When questioned about how close he feels to becoming the player that helped him win the PGA Championship at Southern Hills two years ago, Thomas stated that he felt his game was “more complete than it did back then” by a reporter at Quail Hollow Golf Club.
“It’s just about getting in the right frame of mind and acting when necessary, just better navigation on the golf course,” he continued.
“I believe that for a few years there, I undervalued how well I performed that.
“I just happened to find that by not pushing the issue or making things more difficult than they needed to be, I would find myself in contention in tournaments far more frequently.
“I feel great about my golf, so that’s more or less what I’m trying to get into,” the author said.
“I really have, more so at the beginning of this year and as it has progressed, but especially toward the end of last year.”
Thomas is competing with Taylor Pendrith and Akshay Bhatia in the first two rounds of the Wells Fargo Championship.
If he prevails in the prestigious tournament, he will have won 16 PGA Tour championships.
He’s going to Valhalla Golf Club next week to try to get his third major.
He hasn’t played the course in ten years, so he’s already on a scouting expedition.
He remarked, “I remembered more than I thought I would.”
“Not much has changed; the main changes are new tees and the removal of some trees to make the area much more spectator-friendly.
“I thought it was a great look that you’ll be able to see more throughout the course. However, it was excellent.
“I mean, I’m excited to hopefully make some of my own memories of Valhalla, but on the other side of the ropes for a change. I have some pretty cool memories of Valhalla.”
