Charlotte (AFP) – Justin Thomas enters this week’s PGA Championship at Quail Hollow with confidence and a hot hand as well as memories of winning his first major title on the same course. The 32-year-old American captured his first major crown at the 2017 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, and his game has peaked ahead of his chance to repeat the feat.
“A lot of great memories,” Thomas said Tuesday. “Just walking up that 18th to people chanting my name and looking at the leaderboard and realizing I was about to win this, it was a really cool feeling. There’s definitely different parts of that week, and especially Sunday, that I’ll always remember. It was a very special week.”
Related news
Thomas won his first title in three years at last month’s PGA Heritage tournament and has been in the top two in three of his past four starts, with three runner-up efforts this year, including last week’s Truist Championship. “I feel great about my game,” Thomas said. “I would like to think I’m a more mature person and golfer. I have a lot of trust in my ability and confidence in what I can do. I hope but firmly believe that some of my best is still ahead of me, and I know that I have that in there. I just have to kind of go find it and prove it.”
When it comes to winning majors, it helps to know he has done it before on the same layout. “If I’m coming down the stretch and trying to win the tournament, I can tell myself I’ve literally done this before here,” Thomas said. “It’s kind of bizarre something like that in your mind can be very helpful, but it is. I’ve hit the shots. I’ve made the putts. I’ve handled all of that mentally on this exact golf course in this exact tournament. It’s something that can be helpful.”
Thomas took his second major at the 2022 PGA at Southern Hills, but he hadn’t won since then until last month, a slump he says was good in the long run. “I think it’s good for you in the long term. It doesn’t seem like it when it’s happening, and I would have much rather not had a poor year than have one, but I learned a lot from it,” Thomas said. “You unfortunately have to go through some stuff like that and maybe make some wrong decisions, or chase some things you don’t need to, to figure out down the road that you don’t need to do that. There’s something satisfying figuring it out, if you will, but just a part of this game.”
– ‘Just more patient’ –
Thomas, a 16-time PGA Tour winner, credits his recent success to patience and trust in his shot-making. “I’m just more patient,” Thomas said. “I don’t feel like I’m forcing the issue as much. Just trying to trust my game and myself quite a bit more. I feel like some of the events maybe earlier this year or last year where I had a chance to win, I just felt like maybe I pressed a little too much. Sometimes you’re in a better head space than others to try to give yourself a chance. That’s how it has been the last couple of events.”
© 2024 AFP
