2022 Charles Schwab Challenge: Top 10 power rankings at Colonial
Trailing by seven shots entering Sunday, and as much as eight early in the final round, Justin Thomas was on pace to have a solid, but unspectacular 2022 PGA Championship.
Then, he turned on the jets and rose to the occasion while other less proven contenders faltered. Thomas’ 3-under 67 in the final round on a challenging day at Southern Hills got him into a playoff. He was mere inches from winning it in regulation had a mid-range birdie try fallen.
Instead, he outlasted Will Zalatoris by playing flawless golf in the three-hole aggregate playoff. JT made birdie on 13 and 17, the two easiest holes on the course, and made an easy par on 18 to close out Will Zalatoris who finished a shot behind.
The knock on Thomas has been his lackluster showings in major championships after his breakthrough victory at the 2017 PGA. He racked up a lot of made cuts but struggled to be a factor down the stretch.
He’s been in this position before to make a run as a chaser, but it never quite materialized.
Thomas is a shotmaker and finds ways to play well when tough conditions arise.
That’s why being on the wrong side of the tee times in the first two rounds didn’t submarine his chances.
It looked like it was actually going to be Saturday’s 74 that did him in.
Thomas battled back in an admirable way the next day. A little help from Mito Pereira and company didn’t hurt, either.
JT was second in the field in strokes gained putting (6.313) and T-2nd in greens in regulation (69.44%). It wasn’t his best driving week, but he found fairways down the stretch when he needed them.
Thomas finished T-10th in his debut at the Charles Schwab Challenge in 2020. Scores of 64-68-66-71 left him four shots out of a playoff.
He took T-40th in 2021.
“…it’s all right in front of you,” Thomas was transcribed by ASAP Sports describing Colonial prior to the 2020 tournament. “It’s just a great old-school golf course where you put the ball in play and then it’s a second-shot course, and hitting to the small greens, and you have pure bent greens. I’m just excited to be here, because again, it’s a place that I’ve always wanted to come to, just never worked out in the schedule…”
The 29-year-old ranks second on the PGA Tour in total strokes gained (1.996) and is 44th or better in each SG category. Thomas’ distance won’t be as big of a factor this week, but his lack of accuracy can be mitigated by being able to hit shorter clubs off the tee.
JT is second in birdies per round (5.02) and fifth in scoring average (69.377).
Thomas is a 15-time PGA Tour winner. A hole in his resume is a win in Texas. If he’s not exhausted from a long week in Tulsa, there’s no reason he can’t play with house money and add another W.
Too bad I see the hometown kid getting revenge.