Feature on Justin Thomas
So good, so fast. Just don’t suggest to Justin Thomas that he’s moving swiftly enough to lock himself into an atmosphere that includes the likes of Tiger Woods or Steve Stricker – despite the potential to join them, at least in the record books.
- Justin Thomas wins CIMB Classis
That the 24-year-old Thomas will travel more than halfway around the world to play in the 2017 CIMB Classic and give chase to such notable names is no worry. Not when TPC Kuala Lumpur sits at the other end of the lengthy trip. Thomas’ passion for Malaysia and the CIMB Classic remains as strong today as it was that fall Sunday in 2015 when he recorded his first PGA TOUR victory.
Or as strong as it was last fall when he left after having successfully defended his title.
Two trips to the CIMB, two victories. Eight rounds, 144 holes, 49-under par, 59 birdies, 2 eagles. You better believe he’s a huge fan.
- Justin Thomas
“It’s awesome. To win two in a row there ranks right up there with my accomplishments,” said Thomas.
Flash back to 2016 when Thomas, then a raw, talented, but winless young star-on-the-rise scripted a dramatic comeback story. Falling out of the lead when he rinsed his approach to the par-4 14th and made double-bogey, Thomas showed remarkable resiliency. He birdied each of the next three holes to edge Adam Scott by one.
“I still can’t believe that just happened,” said Thomas that Sunday after his breakthrough victory.
Well, guess what? Two years later, the thought of that bounce-back effort still warms his heart.
“Yeah, it will always be special and the way I did it is even more special,” he said, while taking a break from his tournament schedule in the FedExCup playoffs back in the U.S. Thomas said when he gets into contention now at tournaments – like the Tournament of Champions and Sony Open in Hawaii and the PGA Championship – “I look back to (the 2015 CIMB) and draw strength.”
So much happened that week at the CIMB Classic, especially in the wild, up-and-down final round, “that I feel like I have been able to, and will be able to, continue to use that round to my benefit.”
Whereas the 2015 win included a second-round 61 and a 67-66 weekend rally, Thomas in 2016 started and finished with rounds of 64 and sandwiched 66-71 into the middle to win by three over Hideki Matsuyama.
If you’re not a believer yet – despite Thomas’ five amazing wins this year and his chase to capture the $10 million FedExCup prize – then digest those sidelights to his CIMB Classic wins. He beat Scott two years ago, Matsuyama last year. Pretty good competition.
“It’s one of those things that’s hard to explain,” said Thomas, a young kid who grew up in Kentucky, played at the University of Alabama and offers no rationale for his near-flawless play at TPC Kuala Lumpur. But if pressed, he’d point to the grasses and the fact that he’s able to take advantage of generous driving holes.
“I think the big thing is, it’s a lot of wedges and I feel that I have a really, good wedge game,” said Thomas. “The greens don’t (allow) the ball to spin a lot, so the ball kind of stays where it lands.”
Beyond Thomas being a scoring machine at TPC Kuala Lumpur and running off wondrous stretches of brilliant play - he played the last 23 holes bogey-free for 13-under in 2016 – there has been a steady domination of the closing holes. In eight rounds, Thomas has shot 21-under on Nos. 13-18 and that’s an impressive blueprint for victory anywhere.
If he were to pull off a third straight victory at the 2017 CIMB Classic, Thomas knows he’ll join elite company. He would be the first player since Steve Stricker in 2009-10-11 to win the same tournament (the John Deere Classic) at least three times in a row.
Thomas takes enormous pride just to be mentioned in the same breath as Stricker, a player he idolizes. But when you factor in how Woods made a habit out of rolling to consecutive wins at the same tournament (four straight at both the Farmers Insurance Open and Arnold Palmer Invitational; three in a row at the Memorial Tournament and at the Doral Resort), it’s all a bit much. Thomas considers Woods arguably the greatest player ever, which is why he was flattered to have dinner with the former world No. 1 recently.
No, there weren’t any questions about how one wins the same tournament time after time. That’s because “there’s probably no way to explain it,” said Thomas. “It’s just something you enjoy and take pride in.”
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