It hasn’t even been a month since Justin Thomas announced his medical hiatus, and the golf world is already buzzing with his potential return. The Ryder Cupper was set to make a comeback with the relaunch of the Skins Games, but a hip pain, which turned out to be a microdiscectomy, has ruled him out.

While it’s likely that Thomas will miss several of the early-season events, a confirmed return is unknown. But there’s a possible timeline as per several insiders. Discussing Thomas’s unexpected injury, the Golf Channel insiders are sure that a return in late February is what looks optimistic as of now.

“If you think about the typical 3-month recovery period, that would put him sort of late February,” said Ryan Lavner.

The next season will start in Hawaii with the Sony Open, which is replacing The Sentry. Thomas will not be there, as will many other star players, notes Lavner.

“Hopefully optimistically, we see Justin Thomas somewhere close to full health around the Players Championship, certainly in time for the Masters,” he affirmed.

What helps Justin Thomas with a quicker return is his age.  He is relatively young and in good shape. Moreover, his trainer adds an extra layer of support. “He works with Kay Wayne, who is the same trainer that Tiger Woods works with,” said Rex Hoggard. “They know the protocols they have to go through.”

That protocol is simple. Do not rush your comeback. The same advice was given to Thomas by his long-time buddy Jordan Speith a few days back. Speith, who saw a major career overhaul after his own injuries, is arguably the best person to offer a caution.

Once golf’s Golden Child, the American is now sitting at mediocrity, scrambling for a qualification in the coming year. Thomas should heed his advice. As well as Harris English’s.

“I had a chance to talk with Harris English this morning about JT, because if anybody knows about coming back from injury,” Hoggard shared. “He said what we always hear from professional athletes, ‘No professional athlete has ever come back too late from an injury.'”

English himself had undergone a significant hip procedure in 2022. It was severe, and it could easily have been a career-ending operation. But the American is still out there, playing on the PGA Tour, Ryder Cups, and major championships. He had a solo second at The Open and a T2 at the PGA Championship. Currently, he is at the Sea Island Golf Club for the RSM Classic, sitting at T38.

So, the answer is simple. The injury is nothing major, but Thomas needs to stay patient. But that could prove to be his biggest challenge.

“Harris actually admitted, ‘I came back too soon. I was out for six months. I just got sick and tired of sitting on the couch.’ And I think more than anything, that’ll be the one thing JT will struggle with,” Hoggard added. “As you and I both know, he can be, what’s the nicest way of saying that? A bit of a hard head when it comes to these things.”

If Thomas ends up ignoring these warnings, he could go down the path of Tiger Woods, some might say. Woods, who was aiming for his own comeback with his Hero World Challenge in December, had to postpone it. The reason is the same as Thomas’s. A back injury.

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The difference between Tiger Woods and Justin Thomas’ back injury

Tiger Woods’ career, if known for a gold standard performance, then it is also remembered for continuous plaguing injuries. The Big Cat has gone through an extraordinary surgical odyssey – seven to be exact. It started in 2014 till all the way to last month. The microdiscectomy Thomas had, Woods had three in two years.

Each of these operations layered scar tissue on top of the last. It ended up reducing Woods’ mobility and putting stress on a spine that was already battered by year-long play, and now age. “Tiger Woods would be the outlier here,” Lax Hoggard said aptly.

In contrast, Thomas’ situation is better. This surgery was the first of his career. He is 32 years old, unlike Woods, who will turn 50 in December. As per the official reports, he does not have any cumulative damage like Woods from repeated medical procedures. The only solution to his problem is waiting for the injury to get better, which Thomas himself said has started bothering him.

Moreover, the golfer has not won any other major since 2022. With a good 2025 season, he could have ridden on that momentum. But now he will have to barge in the middle of the season for his comeback. This will also impact his FedEx Cup points.

At the same time, he might have to make changes to his swings or playing style not to injure his back further. All these reasons might force him to rush his comeback, something he is being warned of.