Justin Thomas Has Two Interesting Reasons for Why He Watches Majors After Missing Cut

Speaking from the 3M Open, Thomas explained why decided to watch the majors even after his own disappointing finishes.

Missing the cut by eight shots at the British Open was just the latest speed bump for Justin Thomas as his 2023 struggles continue. Last week’s performance at Royal Liverpool marked Thomas’s third missed cut at a major this season, and as a result, he currently sits outside of the top 70 in the FedEx Cup standings. 

That's why Thomas—who would typically take this week off to decompress and prepare for the playoffs—entered both the 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities and next week’s Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club. Currently ranked No. 75 in the FedEx Cup standings, the two-time major champion needs to finish in the top 30 at both events to move inside the bubble. 

Speaking from Blaine, Minn. on Tuesday, Thomas shared some insight into his recent lack of form, and he even touched on those dreaded MCs at the major championships. 

Thomas might have missed out on the weekends at Hoylake, Augusta National and Los Angeles Country Club, but his name wasn’t absent from the talk of the golf community. 

The world No. 24 took to social media during all three of those events to live tweet and offer his perspective on the tournament’s finish. 

Front 9 full of fireworks. I think Xander makes a run, Rory gets off to a hot start, becomes a 2 man battle between Rory and Rick. Whoever plays 13-16 the best is in the driver seat. My guess is Rick gets it done at -11. Excited to watch!

— Justin Thomas (@JustinThomas34) June 18, 2023

While most players might be spending the free weekend grinding on the driving range, Thomas still pays close attention to the major championships. 

He said he does this for two reasons, and the first is highly relatable.

“I’m a golf fan. I am,” Thomas said. “Obviously it sucks this year, I've literally watched basically the four, all four majors, the winners play their entire final round. So that's not what you want to be, you want to be the one that's being watched. There's a lot of people that just, if they miss the cut or if they're not playing, they don't want to watch, but I'm a golf fan.”

The second reason, however, offered a glimpse into Thomas’s strategic mindset as one of the best golfers in the world. He watches the majors on TV to see if he can learn something from the eventual champion. 

Thomas made the cut at this year’s PGA Championship, but after he finished T65 and wrapped up early in the day at Oak Hill, he sat down to watch Brooks Koepka capture his fifth major title. 

“I felt like I learned from watching Brooks at the PGA. I felt like his demeanor and how he went about everything, for me personally, I was like, 'that's how I want to be, how I want to act when I'm out there playing in majors,'” Thomas said. 

Thomas had similar observations when he watched the action at Royal Liverpool, and he followed along as Brian Harman stormed to a six-shot victory.  

“I mean, Harm yesterday or two days ago, it was just how he just picked his way around that golf course, just seeing how focused he was, and him and Big Country, his caddie, were kind of in their own little world under that umbrella. You know, as a fan I like to watch, but also if I can learn a thing or two, that's great,” Thomas said.