Smylie Kaufman issues verdict on if Justin Thomas can win the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow again

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Justin Thomas returns to Quail Hollow this week for the PGA Championship looking to emulate his first major win back in 2017 and Smylie Kaufman has been assessing his chances.

Thomas managed to climb into second at this week’s Truist Championship as he continued the good form he’s shown in 2025.

The two-time major winner hadn’t won since his second major at the PGA in 2022 but this year, he’s looked closer to the best version of Justin Thomas.

• READ MORE: He is the American golfer who unexpectedly won a major in only his third start after driving all night to make his tee time

Indeed, looking at his performance at The Truist and then what he’s been doing for the season, former PGA Tour player Smylie Kaufman believes Thomas is in a good spot to win.

Smylie Kaufman says if Justin Thomas can win a third PGA Championship

Discussing the players who could potentially get into the mix to win at Quail Hollow, Kaufman got onto the form of Justin Thomas.

And in speaking about the two-time major winner, Kaufman believes most elements of his game are there to get another win, if it call comes together.

“He’s in a great spot. Yeah, dude, his his iron game was so freaking good, so fun to watch. He was hitting at pin highs and in where some feel it was such a good course for him. I’m so surprised that the putter kind of went a little bit ice cold on him there at the end,” Kaufman said.

“But golly, his ability just to take spin off of a golf ball on a course like that was it was fun to watch. And he was driving it from when I was watching so good on Sunday, when he didn’t have to cut it. I thought he was trying to maybe….I thought Trevor [Immelman] made a really good point that he was maybe trying to play too much of a fade, trying to, like kind of hit shots in the fairway. That was a good observation by Trevor for sure.”

“But the ball striking, it’s there. The putter has been incredible this year, and it’s in spots for sure, and he’s top 20 in putting overall. But it’s it’s a big, big week for him, and the fact that we know it’s a good golf course for him, we know he’s in form, and he needs to go out in a major championship, and it’s been a long time since he’s been in the hunt.

“Like, since he’s, like, shown up and had his B stuff at the majors. It’s been fairly mediocre for him. I I mean, you can go find the last time he’s played well in a major it’s probably Southern Hills. There’s the last one.  Alright. So he finished first at the PGA at Southern hills, and since then, he went 37/53 cut, 65th cut, cut, cut, eighth cut, 31st 36 that’s not JT, at major type of golf. So this is a big week, and that he is in form. It’s a golf course. He’s won at a major at, I think he’s virtually he’s a lock at this point to be on the Ryder Cup team. He’s going to be on that team. So he’s basically playing with house money at this point to me, and, and, gosh, it would be surprising if he didn’t play well.”

• READ MORE: Jordan Spieth told exactly what he needs to do at Quail Hollow to have a chance at winning the PGA Championship

Justin Thomas will believe he can win a third major

With so many top players in good form right now, it really is hard to choose who the winner at Quail Hollow will be.

However, Thomas is as good a bet as anyone when you consider the form he is showing.

He’s got back to winning ways at the RBC Heritage, finished second three more times, and had another two top tens this season in just 11 events.

With that sort of form, there’s a reason why Thomas is being considered among the favourites to win at Quail Hollow and he might well just do it again if it all comes together.