Justin Thomas' runner-up finish at the 2024 Zozo Championship was just the latest close call since his last trip to the winner's circle more than 800 days ago. Held without a new trophy since raising a rather large one at the 2022 PGA Championship, the 31-year-old efforting a return to glory next season hinges on one club: his putter.
After gaining strokes on the greens across his first three rounds in Japan last week, Thomas fell back down to Earth in the final refrain and bled nearly two strokes to the field. In total, he lost just about one stroke - matching his final deficit to eventual winner Nico Echavarria -- in what was actually an above-average performance from the two-time major champion.
Asked what he was taking away from his effort at Zozo, Thomas said, "A lot of positives. The stuff I've been working on, everything I've been doing is obviously the right stuff and I'm still going the right direction. Just got to keep trying to put myself in contention and right there as often as I can. Just kind of hope for a law of averages thing, eventually you end up getting it done, but it's just about putting yourself there more."
Ironically, the law of averages found Thomas in the final round -- albeit not in the positive manner to which he's alluding. Thomas ranked as a bottom-10 putter on the PGA Tour during the 2024 season. Across 60 measured rounds, he lost nearly 29 strokes (about a half stroke per round) to the most average putter on the PGA Tour. (By pure coincidence, that "most average putter" was Echavarria at +0.004 strokes gained per round.)
While Thomas and Echavarria duked it out this past Sunday, it is fair to assert the American sees himself in a different league. When looking at his peers, the difference on the greens is noticeable but not to this point unattainable. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, once a poor putter himself, posted +0.095 strokes gained putting in 2024. Rory McIlroy and Collin Morikawa were slightly better at +0.173 and +0.121, respectively, while Hideki Matsuyama came in below average at -0.118.
These players are all phenomenal from tee to green and slightly above or below average on the greens. Thomas found his tee-to-green game in 2024 but continues to lack once reaching those greens.
While recent years have been ugly for Thomas's putter, that has has not always been a deficiency in his game. A combination of poor putting and poor tee-to-green play led to his demise in 2023, but Thomas posted positive figures with the flat stick in hand the two years prior. Victories at the PGA Championship and the Players Championship were the result.
Justin Thomas: Putting ranks by year
| Year | Strokes Gained: Putting | Rank |
|---|---|---|
2024 | -0.478 | 167th |
2023 | -0.161 | 135th |
2022 | 0.091 | 85th |
2021 | 0.026 | 104th |
| 2020 | -0.031 | 112th |
| 2019 | -0.186 | 144th |
| 2018 | 0.272 | 47th |
| 2017 | 0.332 | 43rd |
When Thomas was at his best, no surprise, his putts were falling. He claimed eight of his 15 PGA Tour titles from 2016-18, climbed to No. 1 in the Official World Golf Rankings during that stretch and raised his first major championship trophy. In an ideal world, Thomas wants to return to that level of effectiveness; in a realistic one, matching his putting from 2021-22 may be all that is required.
How he goes about repairing that part of his game will be something to follow this offseason. Thomas has tinkered with technique and grips, switched between his current Scotty Cameron mallet and his old gamer, and he even implemented a version of the AimPoint green reading technique like most professionals. None of it has resulted in a substantial change.
There are still plenty of other options for him to consider. Does he abandon his ties with Scotty Cameron entirely? Will he experiment with a LAB putter like good friend Rickie Fowler? Could Thomas possibly wield a broomstick like Adam Scott?
Only Thomas can decide. Until then, the putter will continue holding him back from returning to the PGA Tour winner's circle.