PGA Tour: Justin Thomas will long remember season of what-ifs

Justin Thomas came up just short at the Tour Championship this week, following a consistent pattern that Thomas has battled all season long.

Justin Thomas came up short in the Tour Championship, finishing in a tie for second behind to the red-hot Dustin Johnson. And Thomas fought a familiar foe that has plagued him all season long once again this week.

Thomas has had an outstanding season on the PGA Tour. He has won three times, finished second in the FedEx Cup standings and is among the candidates for PGA Tour Player of the Year.

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However, at East Lake this week, he ran into something that, once again, proved to be his Achilles heel. Thomas shot 66-71-66-66 in the Tour Championship to come up three shots short of DJ. And, as has been the case on several occasions this season, it was that one bad round that took Thomas out of perhaps winning again this week.

There are always what-ifs, but taking a look at Thomas’ schedule this season is truly amazing. Here are a few examples of just how close Thomas came to winning a few more times this season.

In February at the WGC-Mexico Championship, Thomas shot 67-66-65 in the first three rounds before a 73 on Sunday dropped him into a tie for sixth. At the Charles Schwab Challenge, Thomas shot 64-68-66 on the first three days before a 71 on Sunday dropped him into a tie for 10th place.

At the RBC Heritage, it was the same story, but a mirror image. This time, Thomas started poorly, with a 72, but he rallied with a 66-66-63 final 54 holes to finish in a tie for eighth.

Also, don’t forget that Thomas basically gave away the title at the Workday Charity Open. Thomas held a three-shot lead with three holes to play, only to see that lead  dissipate, partially because of Thomas and partially because of Collin Morikawa. Those two would finish 72 holes in a tie and would go to a playoff, where Morikawa snatched the win, one that Thomas certainly felt should have been his.

Thomas, still just 27 years old, notched his fourth straight top 10 finish in the FedEx Cup standings, including winning the title in 2017. And while that’s an amazing accomplishment for someone who is still in only his sixth year on tour, Thomas will regret the tournaments that got away this season. And that would include this week’s Tour Championship at East Lake.