
USA Today via Reuters
May 16, 2024; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Justin Thomas walks on the 10th fairway during the first round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Valhalla Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

USA Today via Reuters
May 16, 2024; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Justin Thomas walks on the 10th fairway during the first round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Valhalla Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Justin Thomas ended a three-year winless drought with his emotional RBC Heritage victory in April. Yet, just months later, the former world No. 1 finds himself candidly admitting to a troubling pattern of poor decision-making. This contradiction defines his puzzling 2025 season perfectly.
“I feel like I’ve made too many mental mistakes. I just haven’t been sharp,” Thomas revealed during Tuesday’s TOUR Championship press conference at East Lake Golf Club. The 31-year-old pinpointed the Genesis Scottish Open in July as the starting point of his struggles. Since that T22 finish, Thomas admits he hasn’t extracted much value from his rounds despite making every cut.
The mental lapses have become costly at crucial moments. Thomas explained how these mistakes kill momentum before it even builds. “Kind of killed momentum, whether it’s to start some momentum or to keep momentum going, whether it’s through decisions or just the wrong shot at the wrong time kind of thing,” he said. His pattern of brilliant play followed by costly errors demonstrates the consistency issues that have plagued him since the Scottish Open.
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via Imago
December 17, 2022, Orlancdo, Florida, USA: Justin Thomas hits out of a greenside bunker on the 18th green after the first round of the PNC Championship at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club. Orlancdo USA – ZUMAw109 20221217_zap_w109_039 Copyright: xDebbyxWongx
Furthermore, Thomas acknowledged that season-ending fatigue has affected his focus. “I just feel like I’ve maybe let the end of the season get to me a little bit and not being as sharp,” he admitted. The pressure of Ryder Cup qualification likely compounds these mental challenges. Currently sitting 7th in the U.S. standings, Thomas needs either an automatic top-six finish or a captain’s pick from Keegan Bradley to make the team.
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His conversation with caddie Matt “Rev” Minister highlighted the urgency of addressing these issues. Thomas revealed they discussed avoiding laziness on any shots while playing East Lake for what it truly demands. The demanding Georgia layout requires precision driving to navigate firm greens and thick Bermuda rough successfully.
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Justin Thomas’s 2025 comeback season takes unexpected turn
Meanwhile, Thomas’s season assessment tells a more complex story than his recent struggles suggest. He graded himself a “B minus” despite achieving his most successful year since 2022. The RBC Heritage victory represented more than just ending a drought. Thomas made a clutch 21-foot playoff birdie to defeat Andrew Novak after going 1,064 days without winning.
However, recency bias clouds his perspective on the season’s overall success. Thomas has secured seven top-10 finishes and three runner-up results alongside his breakthrough victory. His world ranking climbed back to No. 5 after falling outside the top 30 during his slump years.
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Is Justin Thomas's inconsistency a sign of deeper issues, or just a temporary setback?
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Nevertheless, those recent mental mistakes overshadow earlier achievements in his own evaluation. Thomas’s T28 finish at the FedEx St. Jude Championship exemplified this pattern of solid but unspectacular results. He continues making cuts while failing to contend when tournaments reach critical stages.
The timing couldn’t be more crucial with the TOUR Championship offering one final chance to impress Bradley. Thomas won this event in 2017 during his FedEx Cup championship season. Now, he must rediscover that mental sharpness to secure his Ryder Cup spot and potentially salvage his season grade.
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Is Justin Thomas's inconsistency a sign of deeper issues, or just a temporary setback?