PGA golfer Justin Thomas discusses recent 'ups and downs' as golf season's exciting homestretch approaches

Fox News

12 hours ago

Two years ago, Justin Thomas found himself struggling the most he ever had in his career.
He was just a few months removed from his second major victory – a PGA Championship title at Southern Hills. But in the 2023 season, he didn't even make the FedEx Cup Playoffs, cracking just four Top 10s in 21 events.
He missed the cut in all but one major that year – the one he didn't miss, the PGA Championship, he finished T65.
He has since bounced back, finishing in 14th in the standings last year, and he enters this weekend in fifth, behind only Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Sepp Straka and Russell Henley.
Majors have still been a struggle. Ever since winning the PGA Championship, he has missed seven of 13 cuts, and his other finishes have been T37, T53, T65, T8, T31, and T36.
But Thomas took home the RBC Heritage in April, then followed up with a T2 finish at the Truist. He has five other top-10s to his season.
"I think there are a lot of different ways you can kind of go about it, especially if you're fortunate to have a long career in any sport. In golf, you have plenty of ups and downs, and it's kind of how you use them, right?" Thomas told Fox News Digital in a recent interview.
"How you grow on the good years and how you also grow on the bad years and how you can learn from them. So, I feel like I try to use the good and the bad from all my years on Tour and obviously have more than of them than others in particular seasons. But yeah, I feel like I am working on the right stuff, and I like how the season's gone. I wish I would've played a little better in some of the majors earlier in the season, but you know have a big stretch here to capitalize on some big events."
Thomas, who founded his own WearSPF sunscreen, plans on being outside quite often for the remainder of the summer – even including the fall for some Ryder Cup action at Bethpage Black on Long Island. So, it seemed like a perfect time to collaborate on GarageBeer, owned by Travis and Jason Kelce (who just introduced BeerBed, which is exactly what it sounds like), to come out with a new sunscreen.
Thomas has also suffered from melanoma, so he takes his SPF-wearing very seriously.
"It's such a unique opportunity, and I felt like being able to partner with them, being outdoors, spending my life on the golf course, we obviously have plenty of opportunities as well of being outdoors. Whether it is just hanging out or whatnot during off-weeks and having that opportunity, it's good to collaborate with brands and guys like them who I admire and respect them and every kind of persona and image they have. So, it's cool it was a great and easy opportunity for them and me to get to learn more about."
Thomas currently holds an automatic bid for the Ryder Cup – two years ago, he was on the outside looking in, but was selected by then-captain Zach Johnson. Before that, he also has one more major overseas and a shot at the $25 million FedEx Cup prize.
Sunscreened out, Thomas is fine-tuning the little things to get back to the top of his game.
"I'm doing a lot of things really well. It's not like I need to reinvent the wheel by any means, but I just feel like for me, if I could just drive the ball a little better, keep those bad days a little bit sharper and not let them get away from me, because I have a lot of belief and know that I can go low any given day. But it is just about keeping myself there and in contention. So just sharpening up a couple things here and there and try to have some fun."
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