Justin Thomas crept into the top 30 to make the final of the FedEx Cup this weekend and he’s been giving his take on the new course set-up at East Lake.
The course is completely different to that which Viktor Hovland won on last year to take home the big prize at the end of the season.
The renovations have brought plenty of discussion to the table this week in the press room.
Scottie Scheffler conceded that the new set up and firm greens could cause problems, while defending champ Hovland admitted to being ‘shocked’ by the scale of the changes.
And becoming the latest to offer his take on proceedings, Justin Thomas has now shared his own opinion.
Justin Thomas gives his verdict on the new course at East Lake ahead of the Tour Championship
Speaking before the media ahead of his opening round, Thomas was asked about the new course set up.
And the two-time major winner admitted he had been left pretty stunned by the turnaround.
“I just played the back nine yesterday. To be perfectly honest I did not realise how much it had changed, I had just read an article or two and it just highlighted a few holes and showed some pictures,” Thomas said.
“I was a little surprised (it was every single one of them). I mean I’m blown away by the course. For a change this recent, to be in the condition the course is in is astonishing.
“The greens are firm so that’ll be a challenge but yeah I think it will take a few years I think before I can really know how it is.”
Quite how the new course will pan out over the next four days, remains to be seen.
We’ve seen Tommy Fleetwood out on the greens testing a number of different wedge shots and we’ve also seen Xander Schauffele suggest he’s not too worried.
Still, it could well be a deciding factor going into the next few days and those with a few shots in hand could quickly see them disappear if things go south quickly.
East Lake, then, could well bite a few players in the backside before we know it.
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