Justin Thomas’ surprising revelation with Ryder Cup hanging in the balance

It is no secret that Justin Thomas has struggled throughout 2023.

He has missed the cut in three major championships and recorded only three top-10 finishes.

His recent slump has even caught the attention of Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson, who cited concerns after Thomas’ missed cut at The Open.

Yet, ahead of the Wyndham Championship, Thomas made a surprising revelation.

“I’m obviously not playing as well as I have in the past, but I’m not playing that poorly,” Thomas admitted. “I haven’t really gotten much out of my rounds.”

He then discussed his play at the 3M Open, where he missed the cut for the sixth time this season.

“I had two swings that literally cost me five strokes on Friday,” Thomas said. “If those swings go how they normally do in any other situation, I’m 15th heading into the weekend instead of missing the cut. It’s just been kind of one of those seasons, I guess.”

Thomas has somewhat of an argument.

On the par-5 18th at TPC Twin Cities, statistically the most challenging par-5 on the PGA Tour, Thomas launched his second shot into the pond that guards the green.

BLAINE, Minn. — Justin Thomas tees off during the first round of the 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities on July 27, 2023.

Photo by David Berding/Getty Images

He then dropped and hit his fourth shot, again finding the water.

Thomas proceeded to make a double-bogey seven.

Four holes later, at the par-3 4th, Thomas pulled his tee shot left into the creek adjacent to the putting surface.

He made another double bogey there and missed the cut by two strokes.

“That is golf,” Thomas said. “What is happening this year, it happens every single year. Someone of, I don’t—I mean, my caliber, you know, a top player; I’m not having a bad season; I just haven’t won anything, haven’t finished tournaments off how I want.”

Thomas last won a tournament in May 2022, the PGA Championship at Southern Hills. He overcame a seven-shot deficit and defeated Will Zalatoris in a playoff to win the Wanamaker Trophy.

But for him to point to two swings at the 3M Open is not dissimilar from an amateur saying, ‘Oh, if I did not skull that shot into the woods, or if I did not take three shots to get out of that bunker, I would have broken 100.’

That is golf—the game of ‘if.’

Golf always wants players desiring more; even those who carded a sub-70 round feel like they could have shot sub-65.

Indeed, Thomas desires to make both the FedEx Cup Playoffs and the American Ryder Cup team later this fall.

Yet, the former Alabama star knows he is the only one who controls his destiny.

“I’m in a position where I might not make the Playoffs, and there’s a lot of other good players that have, too,” Thomas added.

“There are also guys that maybe have been in this position I’m in right now that have played as well as I have other seasons. That is the reality of golf: it’s all on you. You’re not relying on teammates to bail you out or hinder you. It’s all on you.”

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko for more golf coverage. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough too.

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