Justin Thomas Feels ‘Mixture’ of Emotions After Best Finish of Year at Zozo Championship

The two-time major champion finished T2, one stroke back of champion Nico Echavarria in Japan.

Justin Thomas turned in his best finish of the year at the Zozo Championship, finishing one shot behind winner Nico Echavarria. / Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal / USA TODAY NETWORK

Justin Thomas is starting to see light at the end of the tunnel.

The two-time major champion finished T2 at the Zozo Championship in Japan for his best PGA Tour result since winning the 2022 PGA Championship at Southern Hills. Thomas, 31, ended his tournament at 19 under, one stroke behind champion Nico Echavarria.

However, being the competitor he is, Thomas wishes he had a few putts back, despite the encouraging result. 

“It's a mixture of obviously bummed and disappointed,” Thomas said after his final-round 66. “But I played so well. I played plenty well enough to win the tournament. Hit so many good putts today that just didn't go in, that's the difference. I needed some of those ones that burned the edge to fall. But no, I mean, I gave myself a chance.”

Echavarria birdied two of his final three holes, where Thomas only birdied No. 18 after a close putt on Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club's penultimate hole. 

“I would have really loved that putt on 17 to fall just to be tied for the lead,” Thomas said. “I felt like being one back of two people coming into 18 is a tough task to accomplish. I did a lot of the things really well. I made one bogey in 72 holes and had a great chance, just wasn't my week.”

A game of inches.

Justin Thomas has had no luck with the putter today.

He trails by 1 with 1 hole to play. pic.twitter.com/8pbP1AdZxo

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) October 27, 2024

Thomas has been looking for a spark in his game. Before the Zozo, his best finish this year was a T3 at the American Express—his first start of 2024. His last top 10 came at the Travelers Championship in June. In April, he fired his caddie Jim “Bones” Mackay, who Thomas hired in 2021 after Mackay had looped for Phil Mickelson for 25 years.

Thomas, a 15-time Tour winner, has made multiple changes with his putter this year. Ahead of the Zozo, he returned to a Scotty Cameron X5 Tour mallet putter, which he's used for several of his Tour victories. This year, Thomas is ranked 167th on Tour in strokes-gained putting. 

Thomas knows there's still room for improvement, but he continued his upward trajectory in Japan as he looks to regain his old form for 2025. 

“Lot of positives,” he said. “The stuff I've been working on, everything I've been doing is obviously the right stuff and I'm still going the right direction. Just got to keep trying to put myself in contention and right there as often as I can. Just kind of hope for a law-of-averages thing, eventually you end up getting it done, but it's just about putting yourself there more.”