There will be many who are now hopeful that Justin Thomas has found something in his game ahead of the 2025 season after his impressive showing at the ZOZO Championship.
The 2024 season will probably be one Justin Thomas will be happy to see the back of. The 31-year-old failed to end his wait for a win, which now stretches back more than two years. Meanwhile, he missed out on a pick for the Presidents Cup after finishing well down the standings.
So there would have been plenty of intrigue surrounding the two-time major champion heading into the ZOZO Championship, with Thomas undoubtedly one of the biggest names in the field in Japan.
Ultimately, it would prove to be an extremely successful week for Thomas. He finished in a tie for second alongside Max Greyserman, while he only made one bogey across the entire tournament. Many fans felt that only a cold putter denied Thomas the title on Sunday.
One reservation about Justin Thomas after the ZOZO Championship
Of course, Thomas has not played in a tournament for several weeks, so it is extremely encouraging that he played so well in Japan. And some will be wondering whether this may prove to be the turning point Thomas has needed for some time.
Speaking on The First Cut Podcast for CBS, Mark Immelman has suggested that he was impressed by what he saw from Thomas, but admitted that he is reserving full judgement on his form while he is awaiting the birth of his first child.
“My only reservation right now is he’s used this time productively, he’s certainly looking better than what he was the last time we saw him, but now, a baby arrives in the house. This is a game-changer, it really is, for those folks who have not had kids,” he said.
“We saw with Scottie Scheffler, he kept being competitive, but it’s a mindset shift and I’m keen to see how JT deals with that. But just at the surface of things, physically it looks like the golf swing’s there, but you’ve got to make putts.”
Why Thomas’ golf game may improve further in the coming months
It may perhaps be that Thomas’ golf game benefits from becoming a father. Clearly, nothing will be anywhere near as important to him as what goes on at home – and that may perhaps free him up when he is on the golf course.
It is an interesting point to mention Scheffler, with the world number one obviously enjoying one of the most incredible seasons of all-time on the PGA Tour. His son was present for his victory at the Travelers Championship less than two months after his birth.
Thomas knows what it takes to win the biggest events in the game. So once he rediscovers that winning feeling again, there is no reason to think he cannot get himself back amongst the very best on the planet.
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