There was a time when Justin Thomas was the No. 1 player in the world. His golf game was complete and he excelled with his putter whenever the money was on the table.
Just a BRUTAL miss from Justin Thomas 😅pic.twitter.com/hDnSSHc5HL
— DraftKings (@DraftKings) March 23, 2024
Thomas has had a difficult time in recent seasons and he may have hit rock bottom with his putting Saturday in the third round of the Valspar Championship. After making a birdie on the opening hole to draw within one stroke of the lead, he was unable to convert any of the crucial putts he faced throughout the round.
He finished his moving day round with a score of 79, as he was nine over par through the next 14 holes after the opening birdie. Thomas had his worst moment on the seventh hole. After missing his attempt for a par, he had a one-foot putt for a bogey. Thomas was unable to make the putt, as his attempt took a horseshoe turn and the ball stayed out of the cup. He tapped in that brutal miss for a double-bogey six on the par-4 hole.
While he had a strong performance off the tee, Thomas struggled in all other areas including his approach shots, his shots around the green and his putting. He was -7.047 strokes in putting, and that ranked 77th in the tournament.
Thomas had seven bogeys and one double-bogey in the round. He was unable to record any birdies after the opening hole. That birdie putt was from a length of just under three feet, and he did not make a longer putt at any point in the third round.
Thomas fall 10 strokes behind after three rounds
Thomas has struggled much of the current season and he had only two top-10 finishes this season prior to the Valspar Championship. Instead of moving into the lead or at least remaining close to leader Keith Mitchell and his three-round total of 203, Thomas is now 10 strokes behind the tournament leader.
Mitchell has a two-stroke lead over Seamus Power, Mackenzie Hughes and Peter Malnati. Mitchell has established himself as the pacesetter in the tournament with rounds of 67, 70 and 66. It seems likely that Mitchell will need another brilliant round if he is going to win the tournament, Power and Hughes have shot 69 or better in each of their three rounds.
Throughout his career, Thomas has been one of the more celebrated players on the PGA Tour. The 30-year-old is one of Tiger Woods closest friends among the top pros, and he was the FedEx Cup champion during the 2017 season.
He has 15 first-place finishes throughout his career and has finished second 6 times. He has been in the top five 51 times in his career and has been in the top ten 77 times.
Thomas has earned more than $56 million since joining the PGA Tour in 2015. Despite his troubles this year, Justin Thomas ranks 28th in the Official World Golf Ranking.
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