Justin Thomas will make his first-ever WGC-Match Play finals appearance. It’s hard not to roll with him after he closed strong a couple of weeks ago to win the Players Championship. It was another feather in the cap for the likely future Hall of Famer.
JT got to the semifinals in 2018. He didn’t have to play past the 16th hole in his sweep of group play and never even played the 18th all week with losses coming sooner in the semifinals and third-place match.
Thomas comes into the week with 10 top-15s in his last 12 events. He’ll roll through his group of peers all 10 or more years his senior.
JT could have a tough time putting away the 2018 WGC-Match Play runner-up, Kevin Kisner. Kisner also hasn’t finished better than T-24th all year.
Louis Oosthuizen has some decent results of late and at this event but isn’t too scary in this spot.
Matt Kuchar finished second at the 2019 WGC-Match Play. He posted some more high results that year, but his game is beginning to diminish with age. The 42-year-old hasn’t posted a top-10 since February 2020.
JT will avoid the 17th and 18th again until bracket play.
In the round of 16 I see JT taking down, drumroll
please… Jordan Spieth!
I like Spieth to use duct tape, a rubber band, and a piece of string to hold together his swing to win his group. But that’s it. You can’t fake it against JT, who will win another quick match.
Thomas will likely need extra holes in the quarterfinals, though, where I see chalk coming through to give us fans a fun one to watch vs. Patrick Reed.
My crystal ball sees Thomas taking on another formidable foe in the semifinals, Jon Rahm. He’ll knock him out, only to become prey later on Sunday to Collin Morikawa a la the 2020 Workday Charity Open.