When Justin Thomas ended his three-year losing streak at the 2025 RBC Heritage, many people celebrated, including Damon Hack and Eamon Lynch. Eager to honor Thomas’s iconic playoff win, the two couldn’t help but say, “I would make an argument he’s actually the best American player of his generation.” When JT sat down for an interview to discuss this, he had a few things to say about it.

Recently, Justin Thomas sat down for an interview on the Pardon My Take podcast. Recalling Damon Hack’s comment on the 2x PGA Championship winner (2017, 2022), the host said, “Which is really crazy that they said that [best American player of his generation]. Like, right after you won, as if that’s the reason why. It’s not anything else. Have you thought about, like, what that win… like, now you’re officially in the conversation because of this one win?” 

Justin Thomas smiled and admitted that he laughed after hearing that comment. “I didn’t hear that being said at all in the last couple years. It was a big win for me, but I didn’t know it was that big. So, I guess that’s great, but, you know, how sports are? They have a lot of recency bias in there. Everybody wants to talk about whoever’s the most recent winner or who’s playing the best at that time.”

He acknowledged his career successes but emphasized there’s more he wants to achieve, aiming to build a legacy that speaks louder than just a single win. J.T. isn’t exactly wrong about “media bias.” For instance, after Scottie Scheffler‘s amazing run in the 2024 season, the golf media buzzed with constant comparisons between him and the G.O.A.T.

However, when it comes to J.T., more than just his latest win defines it. He reached the top of the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) in May 2018 and has a total of 16 PGA Tour victories, including the 2025 RBC Heritage. This win snapped a drought stretching back to his 2022 PGA Championship triumph, a reminder of just how tough it is to stay on top in the grind of pro golf. Thomas also performed well in the Ryder Cup. For instance, in the 2023 Ryder Cup, he represented the United States and finished his Sunday singles match against Sepp Straka with a record of 1-2-1. In the end, Team USA won the event 16.5-11.5.

In January 2025, Justin Thomas urged PGA Tour players to engage more with the media to connect with fans and enhance broadcasts. He emphasized that fans value insights into players’ thought processes and reactions, noting that showcasing “on-course personality” is key to attracting younger fans and boosting golf’s popularity. This encouragement can help build truer, more flexible, and personal media narratives, defocusing on one big moment. Now, it is likely that we will see stunning performances from J.T. this season, thanks to his conversation with his buddy, Xander Schauffele.

Justin Thomas is working on his putting to gear up for the majors

Thomas and Schauffele’s chemistry as U.S. teammates was evident, filled with laughs and playful banter. Thomas teased Schauffele’s “quiet confidence” while admiring his skill. After Schauffele’s stellar play at the 2024 PGA Championship, Thomas, who played alongside, remarked, “Every time Xander tees it up, you just know he’s going to be in the mix.”

“It was fun. It was a lot of fun. Felt a lot of great things out there, a lot of positive encouragement. I mean, it doesn’t help when you’re not making many putts in the sense of you feel like you’re not playing that well, but when you’re playing with one of the easiest 9-unders you’ve ever seen, it makes you feel like you’re shooting a million,” J.T. added on his partner’s performance that day.

Now ranking 6th in points for Team USA in the next Ryder Cup after his RBC Heritage victory, Justin Thomas accidentally revealed some secret meetings he had with his golfing buddy, Xander Schauffele. Their topic of discussion? J.T.’s gameplay, particularly his putting issues. Thanks to their conversation in 2024, Thomas realized he had strayed far from the form that made him successful in 2017-2018. And what dramatic changes we have seen as a result of this realization!

Through 10 events in the 2025 season, J.T. ranks 24th on the PGA Tour in strokes gained putting, with a +0.459 strokes gained output on the greens. Interestingly, this figure is higher than in 2017 (arguably his best season), when he secured five PGA Tour wins, including the FedEx Cup and the PGA Championship. Additionally, this improvement has not only helped him make more birdies—he currently leads the Tour in that category. Despite this good news, there’s only one trouble that J.T. is currently facing: his performance in the majors and driver issues.

Since his win at Southern Hills three years ago, Thomas has struggled to make an impact at major championships, missing five cuts in 10 events and failing to finish inside the top 30. Sure, he made a top-10 finish at Valhalla in 2024 (T8), but Schauffele’s 21-under winning score raised questions about Thomas’ performance. As he gears up for upcoming majors and deals with the driver issues, he will have to leverage his putting improvements until then.