Justin Thomas kicked off his Open Championship in style on Thursday, with a three-under-par 68 to lead the morning wave. The two-time Major winner dazzled in tough conditions at Royal Troon, and firmly cemented his claim for a first Claret Jug.
Despite a run of very mixed form entering the week, Thomas appeared to be firing on all cylinders, and I believe he is the danger man in the field as he searches for a first win since the 2022 PGA Championship.
A solid opening round in Scotland last week suggested he could be back to his best, but despite faltering over the final three rounds, I am ready to believe he may be about to do something spectacular.
After diving deep into his first round performance data, I have found three reasons why he could be our next Champion Golfer of The Year…
1. Putting
The putter has been his achilles heel over the past 12 months, entering the week ranked 89th in the field for Strokes Gained (SG): Putting. Thomas has failed to gain more than one stroke putting since the American Express in late January, and has lost strokes to the field with the flat stick in eight of 14 appearances since that event.
Flashes of optimism have emerged recently in this area, but nobody could have expected the demonstration of putting prowess that Justin Thomas displayed at Royal Troon in the first round of the Open Championship.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
By the time he entered the clubhouse, he ranked 2nd for total distance of putts made (103ft), ranked 3rd for SG: Putting and accumulated an impressive seven birdies. That’s a stark contrast to what we’ve seen of late, and if he can keep that going he will have plugged a very big hole in his game.
2. Driving Accuracy
Justin Thomas has always been a great ball striker, and he is no slouch off the tee. Something often has to give in that department, however, and for Thomas he can be slightly wayward with his accuracy.
Coming into the week at Royal Troon, Thomas ranked 123rd in the field for driving accuracy, and when you consider the danger that lurks in the form of treacherous rough and perilous bunkers, that doesn’t make for an appealing combination.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Since the start of 2024, Thomas has only bettered the field average for driving accuracy in two events, which is perhaps one of the main…
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