It would have been easy to forget over the last three years just how good Justin Thomas has been when the two-time major champion is at his best, with the 31-year-old enduring a lengthy wait for a 16th PGA Tour victory.
It was Justin Thomas who clinched the RBC Heritage earlier this month after making a birdie on the first playoff hole up against Andrew Novak. The win ended a run of nearly three years since his previous victory.
There was a stage where Thomas looked destined to become the game’s next superstar. He is amongst that group of outstanding players currently on two major titles, while he has previously been world number one.
However, the last few years have not been easy for Thomas. He was a controversial pick for the 2023 Ryder Cup after failing to qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs.
Sahith Theegala says one part of Justin Thomas’ game is so good, it’s disgusting
Despite his struggles, many of his peers were left in no doubt regarding Thomas’ quality.
Speaking on Fore Play Golf in May 2023, Sahith Theegala was asked about taking certain skills from various PGA Tour players. Unsurprisingly, the likes of Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele were mentioned.
But some of the highest praise came for one part of Thomas’ game.
“It would be Rory. I haven’t played with him, but I just know it’s Rory. I mean, who doesn’t want to drive it like Rory,” he said.
“Maybe Xander for long irons. Tom Hoge’s one of the most underrated players, okay maybe now he’s not underrated. No, he’s still underrated. It is stupid. He will hit eight irons, close to impact, he will start b——g about the shot and this shot is six feet left of the pin and it lands 12 feet left. He’s like, ‘HD, I pulled it, not a good swing’. I’m like I have 12 feet for birdie from 107 yards.
“Wedges: JT, Justin Thomas. Disgusting. It’s disgusting. His rhythm on wedges, he makes it look easy. I feel like people don’t get how hard it is to strike a wedge solidly with that kind of tempo.
“It’s a tie between Denny McCarthy and Taylor Montgomery [for putting].”
Another PGA Tour starlet has been inspired by Justin Thomas’ wedge game
Theegala is not the only player to have been inspired by Thomas’ wedge game in recent years.
Tom Kim previously noted that he was inspired to get ‘RADAR’ stamped on his wedges because of Thomas, who had the same word on his shorter clubs.
“I saw JT’s [wedges], you know, I’m a big fan of JT,” he said. “His wedge game is incredible. I saw [the stamping] a couple of years ago and thought, that’s what I need, as well.
It will be interesting to see what Thomas’ win at Harbour Town does for his fortunes. He had finished second on a number of occasions in recent months, including at the Valspar Championship.
So getting across the line in Hilton Head could be extremely significant. He has been one of the best players on the PGA Tour in 2025, and he now has the confidence of knowing that he still has the ability to win.
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