When Justin Thomas approached the 21-foot, two-inch birdie putt on the 18th at Harbour Town, history beckoned. In a gripping two-man playoff for the RBC Heritage title on Sunday, Thomas shared with his caddie, Joe Greiner, that he had never before sunk a significant putt to win outright.
Despite 15 prior PGA Tour victories, Thomas had yet to sink a final clutch shot beyond 14 feet. His longest winning putt in a one-shot victory was barely four feet, dating back to the 2015 CIMB Classic, his maiden PGA Tour triumph.
“Had a lot of tap-ins over the years, but never a meaningful long one, so that felt pretty awesome,” Thomas reflected after his decisive putt bested Andrew Novak, ending a winless streak dating back to the 2022 PGA Championship. “That was as thrilling as I imagined it would be.”
His putting stats offered a tale of revival. Ranked third in strokes gained putting for the week, he advanced 16 places to a respectable No. 24 for the season. Noteworthy improvements, given his sharp drop from top-50 status to a dismal No. 174 last season.
Crucially, this resurgence was aided by insights from fellow golfer Xander Schauffele. “I see Xander as a master of putting fundamentals,” said Thomas. “I asked if he could spare a few hours so I could learn from him.” Schauffele’s exhaustive approach to technique inspired Thomas to ponder his own lapses.
“He truly left no stone unturned. Listening to him, I realized how far I’d strayed from my peak putting form during 2017-18,” Thomas admitted. “Xander never dictated what I should do. Instead, his questions prompted me to recognize my own overthinking. I was complicating matters unnecessarily.”
