Justin Thomas produced a moment of magic on the 18th green to become the latest name to win the RBC Heritage in a playoff, with the two-time major champion edging out Andrew Novak at Harbour Town.
It had appeared that Justin Thomas was in danger of facing another runner-up finish on the PGA Tour this year. The 31-year-old had come second at The American Express and the Valspar Championship. Meanwhile, he also came agonisingly close to winning the ZOZO Championship towards the end of 2024.
And when Andrew Novak put his approach close on the 72nd hole of the RBC Heritage, it seemed that Thomas was set for more disappointment. However, a poor putt from Novak coupled with Thomas making a birdie on the first additional hole meant that the latter secured the victory.
It has been nearly three years since Thomas’ most recent win on the PGA Tour. So it was hardly surprising that he seemed extremely emotional on the final green after getting across the line.
The warning Scottie Scheffler may take note of after Justin Thomas wins the RBC Heritage
Speaking to Sky Sports (broadcast on 20/4), Dame Laura Davies noted that Thomas’ winless run almost certainly continued for as long as it did, in part, because of the narrative which began to develop after so many close calls.
“100%, yeah. It’s to do with the time it has taken for him to win again. You could see that’s why he was so emotional, plus the fact he has a new baby and a wife. That all adds up,” she said.
“But the more you don’t win, the more you doubt yourself and I don’t care how good you are, eventually that doubt will take over. So you need to get that win. It was a huge day for him today and it was a lovely winning moment as well.”
Bizarre Scheffler prediction from Phil Mickelson is now looking a lot more reasonable
It sounds bizarre to say but Davies’ comments may already feel like a warning to Scottie Scheffler. The world number one finished tied for eighth at Harbour Town, with his hopes being dashed after he found the water on the 15th on Sunday.
Like Thomas, Scheffler has played about as well as he possibly could without winning this year. He has five top 10s in eight starts, and is yet to finish outside of the top 25 this season.
However, Scheffler was, by some distance, the best player in the world in 2024. He won nine times worldwide, including the majority of the marquee events on the PGA Tour. So it probably is fair to label the run of eight events without a win as a drought.
As extreme as that sounds, there will be a few concerns in the Scheffler camp. He is doing so well considering how unspectacular his performances have been. But just at the moment where the time has come to put his foot on the accelerator, he has been unable to find that next gear.
Scheffler has shown his frustration this year. And he must be wondering what the missing ingredient is having barely put a foot wrong in 2024.
Phil Mickelson recently predicted that Scheffler may not win before the Ryder Cup. It is still too early to say that Lefty will be correct, but it is surely fair to say that the claim now looks nowhere near as outlandish as it did when he first made it.
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