OAKMONT, Pa. — Final week, a thought popped into Justin Thomas’ head. He knew it was far-fetched, possibly even loopy, however on Monday on the U.S. Open, he had no bother admitting that it had crossed his thoughts: What would he need to do to catch world no. 1 Scottie Scheffler?
“I am positive some individuals will chuckle,” Thomas mentioned, prefacing his comment. “However [I thought] can I catch him this yr?”
At first look, Thomas is nearer than most. The 2-time main winner has jumped again as much as no. 5 within the official world golf rankings this season. However the hole between Scheffler and even world no. 2 Rory McIlroy is so giant (239 factors, to be actual) that even essentially the most aggressive golfers on this planet could be sincere about the place they stand.
“Perhaps Scottie would not play or one thing,” Thomas, who is sort of 500 factors behind Scheffler within the rankings, mentioned with a smile. “You possibly can’t actually catch that if he retains doing what he is doing.”
Such is life with Scheffler on high of the golf world.
Regardless of a gradual begin to his 2025 season, Scheffler has kicked his recreation into excessive gear over the previous two and a half months. Because the finish of March, Scheffler’s worst end is a tie for eighth on the RBC Heritage, which Thomas received. Scheffler has six top-5 finishes, has received 3 times in his final 4 begins — together with eventually month’s PGA Championship — and is the prohibitive favourite this week at Oakmont.
“It is easy. Each single facet of his recreation is unbelievable,” Thomas mentioned. “I feel his psychological recreation is best than anyone out right here. To have the ability to play with these expectations and to remain current as typically as he has to me is possibly extra spectacular than even the golf he is enjoying. He simply would not make any errors and nearly form of lets himself be in rivalry versus forces himself in rivalry.”
It is that final half that Thomas himself is making an attempt to work on. He admitted that in latest tournaments he is allowed himself to be in rivalry throughout the first two rounds earlier than making an attempt to pressure it on the weekend. Thomas has six top-10 finishes this yr, together with a win, however he completed T-36 on the Masters and missed the minimize on the PGA Championship. The truth is, since 2013, Thomas has missed six of 10 cuts at majors.
What Scheffler has seemingly perfected is what Thomas is aware of he must do to even start enthusiastic about shrinking the hole between them. The tantalizing half is that the 32-year-old Thomas has been there earlier than — twice. In 2018, he was no. 1 for 4 weeks, and he returned to the highest spot in 2020 for 5 weeks. The largest impediment now, nonetheless, is not simply himself or the state of his recreation, however quite the participant who has turn out to be golf’s normal.
“It is nonetheless on the forefront of my thoughts, and it is one thing that I am working towards,” Thomas mentioned. “I clearly cannot do something about what [Scheffler] is doing, and he would not appear to be displaying any indicators of slowing down or desirous to. Simply attempt to win some tournaments, and hopefully get shut sooner quite than later.”
