Justin Thomas behaved “like a child” just moments before winning his first-ever major championship at the 2017 PGA Championship. It was a win that announced Thomas as one of the best players of his generation, with the American going on to add another PGA Championship to his name in 2022.
Life has changed somewhat for PGA Tour ace since his first major triumph eight years ago, as the golfer has undergone a cancer scare, while welcoming his first kid with childhood sweetheart Jillian Wisniewski. And, as the now 32-year-old sets sights on his third major title this weekend, it’s back to the course where he won his first almost a decade ago.
He hit a final round of 68 at Quail Hollow to keep Francesco Molinari, Rory McIlroy, Louis Oosthuizen and Patrick Reed at arm’s length in 2017, but it was an at-times nail-biting experience. And it was on the first hole of the back nine where Thomas was seen – by his own admission – spitting his dummy out.
The Florida-born ace had left himself with a six-foot putt to finish the hole two under par and regain his grip at the top of the leaderboard, which had been cut following a shaky front nine performance. Much to the frustration of Thomas though, it looked as if his effort had just fallen short, with the ball balancing on the lip of the cup.
Turning around in disgust, Thomas began to gesticulate, only for, as if by magic, the ball eventually fell into the hole. The golfer, turning back to his caddie, this time with a smile on his face, doffed his cap and sarcastically held his arms open, as if to say ‘well, what did you expect?’.
Reacting to the miraculous putt after he’d won the championship, Thomas explained: “The putt on 10 was funny because it snuck up on the hole. We read it going back a little back right and it never did. I kind of acted like a child and threw a little tantrum, but then it went in and I didn’t look so dumb.”
Thomas will be hoping luck is once again shining down on him when he tees off for the second major of the year at Quail Hollow on Thursday. He enters it in decent form, having triumphed at the RBC Heritage in Texas two weeks ago, before enjoying a decent opening two rounds at the Truist Championship.