CROMWELL, Conn. — “It’s a funny game.’’
Those were, among other incredibly candid things he had to say, part of what Justin Thomas uttered on his way out of Los Angeles Country Club after missing the cut last Friday at the U.S. Open.
Here’s a news flash for Thomas: There’s often nothing very funny about golf, unless you’re yucking it up over a few beers with friends putting through elephant ears playing minigolf.
Thomas, a 15-time winner in an already-accomplished career that includes two major championships, walked away from LACC sounding broken. He’d just shot 81 in the second round, finishing 14-over for the tournament, and used the words “humiliating’’ and “embarrassing’’ to describe his emotions.
Here’s another news flash for Thomas: He has nothing to be humiliated or embarrassed about. It’s golf. Bleep happens.
Case in point: This week’s Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands, where Thomas has been playing like the two-time major champion he is, vaulting himself into contention with a scalding 8-under 62 in Saturday’s third round, a round that could have been in the 50s it was so sharp.
With rain-softened TPC River Highlands handing out birdies like drive-thru bank tellers (remember those?) used to give lollipops to kids, the chances of Thomas — who is tied for seventh place at 14-under par — catching leader Keegan Bradley, who is at 21-under, or Chez Reavie (20-under) by evening’s end Sunday are remote.
But this week should serve as a reminder and reinforcement to Thomas things aren’t as bad as they appeared a week ago.
If anything, Thomas’ nightmarish week in LA was simply the latest in a long line of evidence that this game messes with the minds of the best players in the world, not just the slacker 15 handicaps (and over) like the rest of us.
“I’m actually having fun playing golf, which is something I haven’t been able to say for a while,’’ Thomas said.
When he was asked what has changed since last Friday, Thomas said with a smile that was missing a week ago, “Yeah, just my scores by about 50 [shots].’’
“I just played well,’’ he went on. “I haven’t necessarily tried to do anything different. Just obviously a little more confidence.’’
This is where his problem was last week in LA. Thomas has been working on some swing adjustments with his father and coach, Mike Thomas, and he simply wasn’t trusting the changes.
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“We’ve been working on stuff and he just didn’t trust it in LA,’’ Mike Thomas told The Post. “He’s trusting it now, so we’ll see where it takes him.’’
His son, last Friday, said the U.S. Open was “definitely the lowest I’ve felt.’’
When Mike was asked what he felt like hearing those comments, he said, “Well, there’s a lot of low points out here. Obviously, we haven’t really experienced anything like this yet. It’s a process.’’
That process, according to Mike Thomas, has entailed looking at old videos of Justin’s swing and “trying to get back to some positions that we were always in before and not in now.’’
“It’s extremely tough — especially at a major, when you’re like, ‘This is one of the biggest tournaments of the year and I have to trust this feel that feels terrible, but it produces the best thing for me,’ ’’ Justin Thomas told The Post after Saturday’s round.
“We both bought in that these changes are correct, and now we just have to get comfortable doing it,’’ Mike Thomas said.
Well, based on the 64 Thomas shot on Friday and the 62 he posted Saturday, it’s safe to consider him a hell of a lot more comfortable than he was a week ago.
Thomas has only two top-10 finishes in his 14 starts this year. In defense of his 2022 PGA Championship victory last month at Oak Hill, he finished in a tie for 65th. He also missed the cut at the Masters. So, in the three majors this year, he’s missed the cut in two of them and is a combined 30-over par in them.
Thomas’ Kryptonite has always been his high expectations of himself and how hard he is on himself when he doesn’t meet those expectations. This is where his post-round rant came from Friday. It, too, was a cathartic moment for him, a time to purge.
“Sometimes it’s better for me to talk it out, because I’m probably not going to say the same things to you guys that I would to my wife, when I’m mother-effing everything,’’ Thomas said. “Sometimes, if I can just talk it out on a bigger platform, it almost helps me kind of realize, ‘Look this does suck, this is the worst I’ve ever played in my life, but how lucky am I that this is the worst I’ve ever played and I’m 15th or 18th in the world?’
“I preach so much that you have to learn from your failures, and it’s one of those things I’ve unfortunately been thrown this year, so I’ve got to stick to my word.’’
“It’s just such a fine line,’’ Mike Thomas said, “between where you’re at and where you want to be.’’
Funny game.
