The 2021 Players Champion had to overcome some adversity in the last year that was primarily self-inflicted after uttering a homophobic slur during the Sentry Tournament of Champions. It has been almost a year since his public slip-up, so we have some Christmas wishes for the 2018 PGA Champion that could make the upcoming season a bit brighter.
Wishing Justin Thomas Wins Another Major
Thomas finds himself among a generation of perhaps the most talented ensemble of players in the game’s history. Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, and Collin Morikawa are just a few of the names that come to mind.
Those players alone, along with Thomas, have combined for 18 major titles, and the oldest among the group is Johnson at 37 years of age.
While it seems like Thomas is getting left behind, he’s only 28 with what used to be the prime of a PGA Tour player’s career still to come. Although the win at the Players definitely helped his legacy, a second major championship would go a long way in cementing the 14-time Tour winner’s current place in the game, so we wish it comes in 2022.
Wishing He Can Enjoy Himself
While watching the PNC Championship, where Thomas was paired with his father and played alongside Tiger Woods and his son Charlie in the first round, it was great to see him relaxed and smiling. The former Alabama star has as much talent as anyone on Tour, and he sometimes appears to be putting a lot of pressure on himself to perform.
In the 2020 edition of last week’s event, he and his father won the PNC Championship by firing a final round 57, which is 15 under par at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando. It would be nice to see Thomas let his game take over for him and rely more on his natural ability than trying to force shots, so here’s a wish for him to be able to chill out and enjoy the ride.
Wishing for More Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup Fireworks
Thomas is clearly one of the emotional leaders of the United States’ national Presidents and Ryder Cup teams, providing a spark that was especially evident in September’s big victory by the U.S. over Europe. There’s a lot of optimism about future success in the Ryder Cup, but the Americans will take a couple of more stellar efforts to make that a reality, with Thomas an integral part of the equation.
The U.S. has a chance to pick up another Presidents Cup victory on home soil behind captain Davis Love III at Quail Hollow in 2022. Still, the big prize will be the 2023 Ryder Cup in Italy, where the Americans have a chance to defend their title and retain the Cup.
Although the teams aren’t always the same, it’s likely the core of the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup squads will be made up of Thomas, Johnson, Morikawa, Koepka, DeChambeau, Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, so we wish that unit will use September’s matches to prep for continued success.
