Photo by Logan Whitton/Getty Images
Justin Thomas needed a low score on Friday at the Wyndham Championship to keep his FedEx Cup playoffs goal alive, and he delivered.
The Wyndham Championship is Justin Thomas’ last opportunity to get into the FedEx Cup playoffs. In order to make it to next week in Memphis, he needs to climb into the top 70 in the playoff standings.
Following an even par 70 on Thursday, Thomas’ clutch gene kicked in with a fantastic round when it mattered most.
Thomas carded a 5-under 65, earning him a spot in the weekend and tied for 21st.
“I was super patient — I just hung in there,” Thomas said. “I keep believing good stuff’s going to happen, and it just hasn’t really… I feel like I’m very close to playing some unbelievable golf… It was nice to have a good day today to put ourselves in a good spot going into the weekend and see what we can do.”
At one point in his round on Friday, Thomas sat below the cut line. But he made three birdies down the stretch to get to 5-under. His chip-in on the par-3 16th was a giant momentum swing. It was one of the shots of the day.
“I told Bones — we high-fived there. I said I feel like I deserve that,” Thomas said. “I didn’t hit the best 9-iron I’ve ever hit, but it landed about 12 feet from the hole, and didn’t even think about staying on the green. It’s a nasty hole location.”
He got the lucky break with that hole. Meanwhile, one of his playing partners, Shane Lowry, didn’t. The Irishman putted it off the green and had to settle for a double bogey.
Thomas held tough and shot up the leaderboard 48 places on Friday. While the second round wasn’t perfect for him, it did include seven birdies and just two bogeys.
It seems going back to his old putter was the right decision for the two-time major winner.
The former Alabama Crimson Tide golfer made the cut for the first time since the Genesis Scottish Open. Thomas has made just three cuts in his last eight starts. It has been a rough summer for the 2022 PGA Championship winner, but he is now sitting in the driver’s seat.
The 30-year-old started at No. 79 in the FedEx Cup points on Friday. Now he is projected at No. 75. Thomas needs to finish inside the top-18 to get into the playoffs.
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. You can follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and on Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports for more golf coverage. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough too.
