Of all the big names who went across to Japan for the ZOZO Championship, none seemed to have a more successful week than Justin Thomas, with the two-time major champion finishing in a tie for second.
Along with Rickie Fowler and Max Homa, Justin Thomas was one of the big names with a point to prove at the ZOZO Championship after a difficult 2024 season, which culminated in the 31-year-old missing out on a pick for the Presidents Cup.
He was unable to secure that first victory since 2022, but Thomas produced the kind of performance which will encourage his supporters ahead of 2025. He finished second in the event for the second time in his career. And many fans felt that only a cold putter denied Thomas the ZOZO Championship title, with almost nothing dropping on Sunday.
There are certainly plenty of positives for Thomas to build upon. And it seems that Smylie Kaufman was particularly pleased with Thomas’ performance due to the challenges of Narashino Country Club.
Smylie Kaufman suggests what surprised him about Justin Thomas’ performance at the ZOZO Championship
Speaking on The Smylie Show, Kaufman admitted that he was not initially thinking that it was a track which would play to Thomas’ strengths.
“When you saw that golf course, in my mind, I didn’t see it as a perfect JT fit with the doglegs, but every time on Sunday, he obviously struck it incredibly well,” he said.
“He was 66th in putting in the fourth round, we saw the PGA Tour post the video of him missing all those putts, but dude, he was stepping up with driver on these dogleg holes and just hitting these perfect seeds right down the middle. These balls weren’t even landing in the rough.”
What may frustrate Thomas after his display in Japan
It will potentially frustrate Thomas, from a golfing perspective, that he is now facing another lengthy break. It would be a surprise if he featured in another PGA Tour event in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, he has a child on the way, so that will obviously occupy a lot of his time.
- READ MORE: Mark Immelman shares his one reservation concerning Justin Thomas after the ZOZO Championship
He produced the kind of consistency in Japan that his 2024 season has largely been lacking. Thomas made just one bogey all week, with his scorecards during the final three rounds proving to be blemish-free.
Hopefully, he will be able to pick up where he left off when he returns to competition, whenever that may be. He certainly provided a little reminder of how good he can be in the last week.
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