2023 WM Phoenix Open: Top 10 Power Rankings at TPC Scottsdale

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.

A couple years ago 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.”"

His third tournament top-10 came last year. Thomas posted 67-70-68-66 to finish T-8th and just three shots out of a playoff.

Last season, Thomas ranked eighth on the PGA Tour in SG approach (.696) and was top-16 in every category save for putting (85th).

He knows how to take it low at third in birdie average (4.58) and can be freed up to bomb it without much rough to worry about.