Justin Thomas has admitted he’s working on one part of his game that Scottie Scheffler does better than anyone else at the moment.
Thomas is getting set to take part in the PGA Championship at Valhalla, which is a hometown course for the 30-year-old.
2024 hasn’t been particularly kind to Thomas, having missed cuts and The Masters and The Players.
Yet, recent performances have provided optimism after he placed fifth at the RBC Heritage and T21 at last week’s Wells Fargo.
Justin Thomas looks to learn from Scottie Scheffler’s dominance
Speaking ahead of the year’s second major, Thomas was asked about how he’s handling the pressure both internally and externally.
He explained: I mean, it’s tough. It’s one of those things you can’t just flip the switch, and I think all the greats at it, everybody, you know, that’s, you could say arguably all the GOATs of their sport, that’s what they do better, did better than anybody else is they stayed in the moment and processed better than anybody and they also can’t explain how they do it because it’s just all they know.”
Thomas went on to highlight Scheffler’s ability to completely zone into each shot, somewhat blocking out all the outside noise, an area the 2022 PGA Championship winner is looking to learn from.
He added: “So everybody goes in stretches, and when it’s easier than other times, then I look at Scottie and how he plays, and I think he’s — he does that better than anybody in the world, and not only is his golf unbelievable, but that I think has a lot to do with how well he plays because he just stays in his own world and stays in his process and no matter what’s going on.
“He trusts in his ability, that kind of thing. So that’s what I’m continuing to work toward for myself.”
Justin Thomas is right to copy Scottie Scheffler
Thomas is undoubtedly right to look at Scheffler’s recent dominance. What the two-time Masters champion is currently doing is reminiscent of Tiger Woods’ prime.
The question is whether he can maintain it over an extended period.
If Scheffler lands his first PGA Championship this week, comparisons to Tiger’s heyday will emerge.
Looking at who can challenge Scheffler, Rory McIlroy is the obvious candidate. Fresh off a win at the Wells Fargo, there’s plenty of reason to be optimistic over the Northern Irishman’s chances at a venue he’s previously enjoyed.
Brook Koepka also deserves a mention and is probably the most likely LIV Golf star to threaten the leaders.
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