2022 Waste Management Phoenix Open: Top 10 power rankings

There are plenty of horses for the course here this week at TPC Scottsdale. Justin Thomas has become one of them.

You wouldn’t say that in his first three years, which resulted in T-17th-MC-MC.

His debut (67-68-69-72) wasn’t bad, but two missed cuts in a row at an event is rare for JT. He righted the ship in 2018 with another T-17th (68-68-71-66).

It was in 2019 when Thomas really began to contend. He posted 64-66-68-72 to finish three off the pace in solo third.

In 2020, he posted the same 270 aggregate score (68-68-69-65) to finish three off the pace and this time shared third place.

Last year resulted in T-13th (70-65-64-72) for his fourth straight top-20. Thomas ranked 10th in the field in strokes gained off the tee (2.907) and 11th in SG putting (4.37).

“I just like the golf course. I come in knowing that I don’t need my best stuff to win, which I think is huge,” Thomas was transcribed by ASAP Sports after the third round in 2021. “But I also know that I can do what I did the last 15 holes today, or whatever it is, 14, 15 holes. I really feel like I can reel off nine birdies in an 11- or 12-hole stretch, but I also understand and respect the golf course and kind of take what it gives me.”

Thomas is hungry for his first win since the Players Championship nearly a year ago.

The former Alabama Crimson Tide’s only missed one cut since then, the PGA Championship, but just hasn’t gotten over the hump.

Going back to August, Thomas owns five top-10s and eight top-25s in his last eight starts. We last saw the 28-year-old at the Farmers Insurance Open where he took T-20th.

He ranked third last season on the PGA Tour in SG approach (.887) and was lethal from 150-200 yards. From 150-175, he ranked fourth (24’1”) and from 175-200 he was 13th (30’10”).

Plus, he was ninth in birdie average (4.31).