Justin Thomas’ ongoing masterclass in golf excellence is an entirely different beast. He just scored an impressive victory on the IRS front, showing that he’s back and in fighting shape. As the PGA Championship approaches, Thomas stands poised as one of the favorites, despite flying under the radar compared to peers like Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler. Thomas’ record speaks for itself. He can go out and throw 7 or more birdies in one round, tapping into that consistent talent and birdie-scoring ability.
Last week, Thomas opened the Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links with a record 10-under-par 61. Wow, did he ever obliterate that course, carding a ridiculous 11 birdies. Over the course of the tournament, he not only fended off the competition but held onto his lead to win it all. This big victory, though hugely impressive to specialists like ourselves, has cemented his reputation among mainstream sportsbooks. In the wake of that win, his odds for the next PGA Championship are 20-1 to 22-1.
“I know that I have the firepower in my game to go make 10, 11, 12 birdies in a round because I’ve proven that,” Thomas stated. It was important to him to show that he could be reliable in consistently producing performances. For him, a poor round is just tagged as 2-under, maybe 1-under, or even 3-under par.
Whether getting ready for the same site of next week’s PGA Championship, Thomas is getting used to the spotlight. He points out that his fellow competitors McIlroy and Scheffler have been revered with excessive coverage. He added that all their recent legislative successes have focused attention away from him, but he hasn’t taken a break.
Rory winning the Masters was likely a huge assist with that … deservedly so. Scottie winning last week. Those two deserve all the focus and all the favoritism that they’re likely to have next week, Thomas remarked.
Even though he didn’t feel like he was at his best heading into the tournament, Thomas is still excited about where his game is at. “I don’t necessarily at this exact moment feel as good as I did on Thursday of Harbour Town or Sunday of Harbour Town, but that doesn’t mean that I’m going to feel better than that tomorrow or the next day and so on and so forth,” he said.
“His recognition of being mentioned alongside prominent players like McIlroy and Scheffler further illustrates Thomas’s confidence and respect for his peers. I appreciate that to be mentioned in the same sentence and same area, if you will, as Rory and Scottie,” he added.
Thomas has made a habit of coming through in the clutch when it matters most in the tournament. After his win one week ago, he’ll head to the PGA Championship filled with positive momentum and tenacity. Thomas is excited to see what is still ahead. Even when celebrating the success of his competitors he never loses his cool.
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