The part of the WM Phoenix Open course which Justin Thomas said was the ‘worst’ he’s ever seen at the event

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Justin Thomas started the WM Phoenix Open impressively after shooting a five-under-par 66 at TPC Scottsdale.

Thomas, who is hunting his first win in two-and-a-half years, shot two-under on TPC Scottsdale’s back nine before picking up three more shots on the front.

The two-time major winner is two shots back of his Presidents Cup teammate Wyndham Clark (seven under).

Thomas‘ fast start in Phoenix comes after he finished second at The American Express at the Pete Dye Stadium Course. The Louisville-born star appears to have found some form with the flat stick and made 132ft of putts on Thursday.

What happened to Justin Thomas on the second hole at the WM Phoenix Open

A crucial par save came on the 11th hole (Thomas’ second) after the former world number one found trouble off the tee.

Thomas’ tee shot found the right rough, and he admitted after his round that his lie was the worst he had ever seen at the WM Phoenix Open.

“It’s spotty [the rough]. There are still a lot of areas that are not quite that three-and-a-half inches. On two, my caddie and I said we had the worst lie I’ve ever had in my career at this tournament in the rough,” Thomas told ESPN whilst on the range.

“We were joking the rough was only three-and-a-half inches, and we got there and said we’d found the three-and-a-half inch rough. There’s definitely some bad spots.”

• READ MORE: Justin Thomas reveals how PGA Tour golfers have reacted to the letter he sent voicing his concerns last month

Justin Thomas shares thoughts on TPC Scottsdale

To the naked eye, TPC Scottsdale appeared firm and fast during the first round of the Waste Management. Even Scottie Scheffler struggled to control his ball on the green at times.

However, Thomas believes there is still scope for the course to be made even more challenging.

“I wouldn’t say it’s firm and fast yet,” Thomas added. They’ve got the weather for it, so just kind of letting it happen as the week goes on. Some different pins for a Thursday than I’ve seen in my times here.”

One big positive for Thomas is that, statistically, there’s still lots of room for improvement. Despite working hard on his driving during the off-season, Thomas ranked 49th for strokes gained off the tee after the first round.

What’s more, the American’s short game wasn’t at its usual best. Thomas ranked 65th around the greens, gaining just 0.024 strokes with his short game.