Justin Thomas feels close to winning again after ridding himself of ‘bad habits’

Justin Thomas feels he is close to winning tournaments again after a winless 2023 (Gareth Fuller/PA)

Justin Thomas believes he is close to winning tournaments again after ridding himself of the “bad habits” caused by unnecessary swing changes.

Thomas won his second US PGA Championship at Southern Hills in 2022 but endured a first winless year of his career last season, failed to make the FedEx Cup play-offs and needed a wild card for the Ryder Cup.

The former world number one has started 2024 on a much brighter note, finishing third in his first event at The American Express and will contest this week’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am for just the second time.

Justin Thomas is feeling more confident about his game after a T-3 finish at @TheAmexGolf. 📈
📺: @ATTProAm round one live Thursday at 3P ET on GC & @peacock pic.twitter.com/ijDVV4ePvD
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) January 30, 2024

“I think at this point it’s just [about] starting to win tournaments again,” Thomas told a pre-tournament press conference.

“I feel like I’m very, very close to doing that and starting to do it often again. But I fully understand that just because you think that doesn’t mean you deserve it or it’s going to happen.

“I just need to keep putting myself in that position and getting in contention. I think that’s what I did so often there for a handful of years. Last Sunday was the first final group I’ve played in on Sunday in a while and it was fun.”

Asked what had made the difference to his game, Thomas added: “I’d say working on the correct things. I think, well I know, that I got into some bad habits swing-wise last year.

“To be perfectly honest, I think it just took a little bit of time to get out of some of those, to kind of get that muscle memory out.

Justin Thomas has not won since claiming his second US PGA Championship in 2022 (David Davies/PA)

“I would love to go back in time and wish I didn’t maybe push for some of those changes. I felt like my hands and my arms were starting to get higher and higher and higher and I didn’t necessarily love that.

“[But] that’s something that kind of makes my swing what it is. I’ve always had very high hands…so that was an example of me chasing something that I probably didn’t need to.

“My dad and I both realised it was something that we both should have noticed or not pursued. But like anything we learn from it and planning to not make that mistake again.”