Justin Thomas Struggles Continue as He Misses Cut at 3M Open
Justin Thomas’ struggles continue as he shot an even-par 71 on Friday to miss the cut at the 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities in Minneapolis. Here’s what you need to know:
Thomas Birdies Late to Salvage Round
Thomas birdied four of his final five holes to salvage what started as a disastrous second round with a bogey on his fourth hole of the day. Despite the late surge, it wasn’t enough to secure his place in the weekend rounds.
The 30-year-old is playing the 3M Open in an attempt to make the FedEx Cup playoffs. He can also play at next week’s Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, N.C. Thomas entered this week at 75th in the FedEx Cup standings, which is five spots removed from the top 70 who reach the playoffs.
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
Thomas’ Decline in Context
By the time Thomas won the PGA Championship at Southern Hills just 14 months ago, he was ranked No. 1 in the world by DataGolf and No. 5 in the Official World Golf Rankings. He had two major championships and seemed to be hitting his prime. Now, he finds himself lost in the wilderness as he sits outside of the top 70 in the FedEx playoffs and with just one top 50 finish in the past three months.
Nobody wants to speculate on a player’s health or psyche, but something is clearly off with Thomas to precipitate such a drastic decline. His normally stellar short game has fallen off a cliff, losing a jarring 1.78 strokes around the green compared to the field at last week’s Open Championship. He lost three strokes around the green earlier that month in Detroit. He’s also lost strokes putting in seven of his last eight events, the kind of areas usually most impacted by composure and touch.
For reference, the lowest Thomas has been ranked on DataGolf in the last seven years was No. 20 in 2017, and he has steadily lived in the top five. He is currently ranked No. 62. — Miller
What it Means for the Ryder Cup
Leaving Thomas off the U.S. Ryder Cup squad seemed like an impossibility just two months ago. But his issues have reached such a point that it’s becoming more difficult to imagine captain Zach Johnson picking him. The hard part is that if Thomas doesn’t have a stellar week next week at the Wyndham Championship to jump into the FedEx top 70, his season will be over. He’ll miss the three playoff events and not even have the opportunity to turn his form around.
Thomas is a Ryder Cup veteran, going 6-2-1 across two appearances, so leaving him off is really difficult. He’s one of the biggest stars in golf. But in the scenario that he ends the season playing so poorly he doesn’t even qualify for the playoffs and he doesn’t play highly competitive golf for months, there’s almost no validation for selecting him. But if Thomas can bounce back with a great week in North Carolina and show something in the playoffs, most will want to give him a chance. — Miller
Backstory of Thomas’ Struggles
Thomas’ 2023 season has been a borderline disaster. His best finish this year is a fourth-place finish in Phoenix in February. The 2022 PGA champion has two top-10 finishes since — a T10 at Valspar and a T9 at Travelers.
Thomas’ other woes include missing the cut in Augusta, finishing T65 at the PGA and being 14-over through two rounds at the U.S. Open before heading home. He also missed the cut earlier this month at the Open Championship.
Conclusion
Justin Thomas’ struggles on the golf course continue as he misses the cut at the 3M Open. The decline in his performance over the past few months has been significant, with his short game and putting suffering the most. This decline puts his chances of making the Ryder Cup squad in jeopardy, as captain Zach Johnson may hesitate to select him if he doesn’t show improvement soon. Thomas will need to have a stellar week at the upcoming Wyndham Championship to have a chance at making the FedEx Cup playoffs and turning his form around. Otherwise, his season will come to an early end, and he will miss out on the opportunity to redeem himself in the playoffs.
Despite his recent struggles, Thomas’ past success and reputation as one of the biggest stars in golf make it difficult to completely count him out. If he can bounce back with a strong performance in North Carolina and show improvement in the playoffs, many will still want to give him a chance to represent the United States in the Ryder Cup.
Overall, Thomas’ current situation highlights the unpredictable nature of professional golf and serves as a reminder that even the best players can go through challenging periods. It remains to be seen whether Thomas can overcome his struggles and regain his form, but one thing is for sure – golf fans will be eagerly watching to see how he responds in the coming weeks and months.