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Ever since returning from his injury, Justin Thomas has had a difficult time finding his footing. He has struggled to deliver consistent performance. The only time he actually looked threatening was in The PLAYERS Championship 2026. With the PGA Championship coming up, he discussed his goals for the next few days.

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“Week 1 of 3 in a row in the books. Was a hot one @cadillacchampionship! A lot of good, plenty to improve. Excited to get back to Charlotte for @truistchampionship at a course I have great memories at. Let’s get it,” he wrote on Instagram.

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Looking at Thomas’s numbers on the Blue Monster Course, he certainly has a lot to improve. At the $20 million Cadillac Championship, he was struggling to make sand saves and scramble across all four rounds. Out of the 14 times he landed in the bunker, he only made par on 6 occasions. And when he was stuck scrambling 24 times, he could only convert half of them to par or better. But all blame might not go to his wedge in this case. It was also his putter that wasn’t delivering at Trump National Doral.

With an average of 52′ 10″ putts made each round, he ranked 66th on the field in putting. No wonder he had 12 bogeys and a double bogey in 72 holes. Due to so many errors, he could only register one round of under-70 in four days of play.

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JT competed in the 2026 Cadillac Championship last weekend, and he finished 23rd with 6-under par. This was certainly an improvement from his last outing on the PGA Tour at the RBC Heritage. There, despite a final round 5-under 66, he finished 77th in an 82-player field in the $20 million Signature event.

Now, a T23 finish at Trump National Doral does seem positive, but with the 2026 PGA Championship coming up, he will need to perform far better than that. The Trust Championship is his last opportunity to do so. He was already concerned about the very difficult and exhausting schedule, with the PGA Championship being after 2 consecutive big events. Now that he’s in the mix, the 33-year-old will need to up his game.

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JT’s record at the $20 million event is quite good. He may not have won the tournament four times like Rory McIlroy. But just last year, Thomas finished at T2 in the Truit Championship. This year, he would be eager to better that result and go all the way. Especially if he aims to conquer the Aronimink Golf Club in a few days.

That said, Thomas has bigger things to be concerned about as he heads into the second major of the season.

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Justin Thomas’ wayward form in 2026

At TPC Sawgrass, Justin Thomas showed that he has still got game to deliver among the best fields on the PGA Tour. He finished at T8 in the PLAYERS Championship. However, he has been anything but convincing in the other tournaments he has played this season.

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The most appalling performance of Thomas came in the 2026 RBC Heritage. He finished close to dead last on the leaderboard despite his resurgence in the final round. However, that wasn’t the concerning bit. It was the fact that he had joined the field as the defending champion.

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Yes, just 12 months before the event, Thomas had worn the plaid jacket himself and held the trophy high with a bright smile on his face. This year, fans haven’t seen a similar smile for even a moment. The two contrasting performances at the same venue a year apart show how much he is struggling on the fairway. Considering that, can a T23 finish on the Blue Monster Course really be considered a victory? Or is it just a distraction from a far more alarming issue he needs to seriously look into?

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Written by

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Molin Sheth

2,233 Articles

Molin Sheth is a senior Golf writer at EssentiallySports and a key member of the ES Golf Trends Desk. He brings strong editorial judgment and a data-driven approach to uncovering the game’s overlooked angles, delivering insightful play-by-play reporting across golf’s four major championships. As part of the EssentiallySports Journalistic Excellence Program, an in-house initiative that mentors and develops writers through expert guidance and rigorous training, Molin works closely with industry-leading mentors to bring clarity and depth to a sport where precision matters and every shot tells a story. Molin comes from a diverse professional background that enriches his coverage. With extensive experience in digital marketing, content management, and quality assurance, he excels at optimizing processes and enhancing user experiences, skills that translate into delivering well-researched, engaging content efficiently. His roles in customer support, technical troubleshooting, and cross-functional collaboration have honed his problem-solving abilities and attention to detail. This comprehensive skill set allows Molin to approach golf reporting with a unique blend of creativity, analytical rigor, and operational excellence, ensuring his work resonates with both casual fans and serious golf enthusiasts.

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Riya Singhal

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