Standing on Harbour Town's 18th green, Justin Thomas faced a 21-foot, 2-inch test—a birdie putt in a playoff against Andrew Novak that could secure his long-awaited victory at the RBC Heritage. As he let his caddie Joe Greiner know, Thomas had never sunk a winning putt of significant length in his career.
Despite 15 prior PGA Tour wins, the longest decisive putt Thomas had ever made was a mere 14 feet, 4 inches at the 2019 BMW Championship, a comfortable victory, nonetheless. His tightest winning putt before? A modest 4-footer at the 2015 CIMB Classic, marking his first tour triumph.
But the wait was over. Thomas confidently drained the crucial putt, marking his first victory in 1,064 days, since claiming the 2022 PGA Championship. “It was as fun as I thought it would be,” Thomas reflected, relishing the breakthrough moment.
This win was not just about the final putt. It highlighted an impressive improvement in his putting accuracy, placing third for the week in strokes gained on the green, and boosting his season rank to No. 24—an encouraging leap after slipping from No. 135 to No. 174 last year.
Seeking assistance to revive his putting form, Thomas turned to his peer Xander Schauffele, then ranked world No. 2. “I think he’s one of the best at fundamentals,” Thomas admitted, detailing how a deep-dive discussion with Schauffele helped clarify his approach. Thomas realized he was overcomplicating things, losing touch with the consistent habits that had defined his peak years between 2017 and 2018.
“Xander’s questions highlighted for me that I was trying too hard,” he acknowledged, seeing now the value in simplifying and returning to basics.
For Thomas, this victory was more than a trophy—it was a reaffirmation that he’s back on track, ready to leverage his refined precision for more memorable wins.
