Standing five feet 10 inches tall and weighing in at 145lbs, Justin Thomas is proving he’s the new heavyweight kid on the US PGA Tour block.
With three victories on the PGA Tour this season alone and becoming the youngest player in history to card a 59, he’s rocketed up to 12th in the world golf rankings. His latest victory at the Sony Open in Hawaii threw down the gauntlet as he rewrote the record books, not just for his 59 but the lowest 36, 54 and 72 holes in US PGA Tour history. Not bad going for a 23 year old who has earned close to $10 million since first playing a full season on the PGA Tour in 2015.
“I expect to be in contention every time I play,” Thomas said after his win.
“If I can bring my average bogeys a round down three-quarters to a whole bogey per round, I think this year could be pretty dangerous.”
“Looking at guys like Rory McIlroy or Jordan Spieth and Jason Day, they go out there and they finish 10th a couple of events in a row and then finish 20th, everyone is like what’s wrong with them. I don’t know if I’m to that point yet… but that’s the kind of stuff you’ve just got to block out. I’ve always expected this of myself. It just hasn’t happened yet. Now that it’s happening, I continue to have the same expectations. I just need to continue to put the work in and just be ready every time I tee it up.”
Different breed
Gary Player has long feared that the game of golf will soon be dominated by huge athletes like Dustin Johnson but Thomas is a far cry from becoming golf’s version of Usain Bolt. What makes him so good is his ability to handle pressure, that’s where strength of mind overpowers physical ability. He’s the best putter on Tour from within three feet and his fourth round scoring average is a staggering 67.75.
With a clubhead speed of 116.5 miles per hour he can still move the ball over 300 yards on average off the tee, though he’s a little wayward with an accuracy stat of 59.65%. Thomas reaffirms his strength of mind by leading the scrambling stats as well, showing he can save valuable strokes when the pressure is on.
“I’m so, so excited for the Masters. I love that course,” Thomas said ahead of the first Major of the season.
“I’m a lot more confident going into it this year. I understand it’s a couple of months away and who knows where my game will be at but just mentally and me as a person and a golfer, I’m excited for the rest of the year.”
What a couple of weeks for young Justin Thomas. Wins by 7 at the Sony. An aggregate score of -48 for last two tournaments. Quite stunning. pic.twitter.com/yWXY3zeDRF
— Tweeter Alliss (@TweeterAlliss) January 16, 2017
Thomas is on a hot streak but his first true test will come at Torrey Pines for the Farmers Insurance Open when many of the big name players will tee it up and starting their preparation for the Masters Tournament in April.
He’s got a long season ahead but this talented young man from Kentucky will have to pace himself and tighten up his driving accuracy to remain on top of the FedEx Cup standings at the end of the season.
At the moment Thomas is looking good but he’s yet to lock horns with the likes of McIlroy, Day, Spieth and Johnson.
In the bag
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Driver: Titleist 917D3 (Mitsubishi Diamana Blue Board 60 TX), 9.5 degrees
3-wood: Titleist 917F3, 15 degrees
5-wood: Titleist 717Fd, 18 degrees
Irons (4-9): Titleist 716 MB; (PW): Titleist Vokey SM6
Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM6 (52, 56, 60 degrees)
Putter: Scotty Cameron by Titleist Futura X5