Justin Thomas has stepped away from professional golf currently because of his microdiscectomy surgery. He underwent surgery to relieve hip pain. While the surgery was successful, Thomas is out of at least a few initial events on the 2026 PGA Tour schedule. But even the surgery could not keep the 16x PGA Tour winner away from the game he loves so much.

Even while sitting on a recliner, Justin Thomas will be all set to watch fellow pros on the tour fight for their exempt card at the RSM Classic 2025. Sharing the excitement with fans, the 2025 RBC Heritage champion tweeted, “Excited to watch @TheRSMClassic this week. Yes, partially because I can’t really do much besides sitting on my recliner, but the level of importance of this tournament for players and next season.

Every shot hit from the entire 2025 season comes down to this one week for some guys. The difference of having a Tour card or not, getting into the Players/elevated events on the line, having a schedule vs playing when you can get in, can all come down to one shot, putt, or decision this week… so many storylines. I will be tuned in to watch the drama unfold!”

The RSM Classic is the final PGA Tour event of the 2025 season. Thus, it carries immense importance as the last chance to secure full PGA Tour status for 2026. Only the top 100 players on the FedEx Cup Fall standings at the end of this event will earn full PGA Tour exempt status for 2026 with access to all full-field events, including THE PLAYERS Championship.

Players ranked 101-125 will get conditional status, with varying levels of access to full-field events and exempt status on the Korn Ferry Tour. The tournament thus acts as a cutoff battle to avoid losing full playing privileges.

Hence, everything comes down to this single event for many golfers on the PGA Tour, as Justin Thomas pointed out. Adam Schenk made it out of this dilemma at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship. His maiden win on the PGA Tour got him 500 FedEx Cup Fall points.

This helped him rise to 67th position on the FedEx Fall rankings. However, many golfers are still on the verge of losing their cards. This makes it exciting not only for Justin Thomas but for every other golf enthusiast.

Some notable golfers who could lose their card include Ryo Hisatsune (95th), Thorbjorn Olesen (96th), Takumi Kanaya (99th), Matt Wallace (102nd), Matt Kuchar (113th), Taylor Moore (115th), Joel Dahmen (117th), Harry Higgs (132nd), and Adam Hadwin (138th).

Both Joel Dahmen and Matt Wallace have historically fought to keep their cards at this event. This makes it even more exciting to see if they can pull off the miracle once again.

Since Justin Thomas can’t get on a golf course, he will miss multiple events. But when will he be back on the PGA Tour?

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Justin Thomas’ PGA Tour comeback timeline

Justin Thomas will have to say goodbye to professional golf for at least a few months. He already withdrew from Tiger Woods’ Hero Cup Challenge and the inaugural Skins Game, which is back after a 17-year hiatus. Rival Ryder Cup star Shane Lowry will replace him at the Skins Game. And at the Hero Cup Challenge, it will be England’s Aaron Rai. Rai impressed everyone with his performance at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. He defeated Tommy Fleetwood in the first playoff round to win the event.

In the very Instagram post Thomas shared to announce his surgery, he even mentioned his plans for his comeback. “While I will miss some events at the beginning of 2026, I want to be very smart and patient in letting my disc fully heal so it isn’t an issue again,” Thomas said.

He has not decided on any specific date or event to make a comeback. The American pro golfer will focus on recovery as of now, and plan his comeback after complete recovery. Jordan Spieth also gave him the same advice to take his time.

Thomas may be stuck at home for now, but his message captures how intense this week will be for everyone fighting to stay on the big stage. Fans will be watching with him as the season reaches a finish that could shape several careers. And soon, they may even see the 16x PGA Tour winner back on the course. He would compete with those who hold on to their cards after the RSM Classic.