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ASIAN ANGLE

Thomas on His Way to Second Reign

Even though his stint atop the summit of the Official World Golf Ranking lasted only a month, Justin Thomas has proven himself to be truly a worthy No. 1 in every sense of the way, writes Chuah Choo Chiang.

Justin Thomas on the 10th tee during the third round of 2018 U.S. Open Championship 42

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Justin Thomas celebrates with the trophy on the 18th green after winning the FedExCup and second in the TOUR Championship last year

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Justin Thomas and his father and caddie Mike Thomas prepare to play from the second tee during the third round of the Sentry Tournament 44

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t 25, Thomas is the reigning FedExCup champion, an eig ht-t i me PG A T OU R winner, holder of one major title and counting. He’s shot the magical 59 once plus he is a firm fan favourite – in May, and he helped make a fan’s wedding proposal become a Twitter sensation and headline news on CNN world sports.

Sporting and entertainment celebrities including Michael Jordan, Steph Curry, Tiger Woods, Kid Rock, Tom Brady and Justin Timberland are amongst some of Thomas’ buddies. He hangs out with Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler and Smylie Kaufman during their now-famous spring breaks and he has also played golf with American President Donald Trump.

Despite his rise to fame and accumulation of wealth – Thomas has earned over US$22 million in prize winnings in a little over three years – he has kept both his feet firmly on the ground, which ironically is in sharp contrast to his dynamic golf swing which sees him almost tip-toeing on his right foot at the point of impact. The power he generates propels the ball to incredible distances for a

guy who stands at merely 1.77 meters and is a lightweight 65kg.

The son of a PGA teaching professional, Thomas became the fourth youngest world No. 1 after Woods, Rory McIlroy and Spieth in mid-May, thanks to an 11th place finish at THE PLAYERS Championship, the PGA TOUR’s flagship tournament.

Such was the thrill that he stayed up late into the evening, waiting eagerly for the world ranking’s official website to refresh with his name perched at the top. “I waited to refresh it and saw it, and it was pretty cool. Seeing every other golfer in the world behind my name was a pretty fun thing,” said Thomas, who screenshot the page for safe keeping.

“It means a lot, but it's something I want to have for a long time, it's not something I just want to have once. To have it for a week and then be done with – like D.J. has and like Tiger did and other guys who have had it for a long time, that's more of a goal of mine as opposed to just having it. I would much rather play well for another eight to 10 years and see how long I can have it."

Power-hitter Johnson swiftly regained his top ranking with an 18th PGA TOUR victory at the FedEx St. Jude Classic in June, HKGOLFER.COM

but it is very certain that Thomas will be fired up to challenge for the mantle throughout the remainder of the 2017-18 season and beyond.

Asian golf fans, in particular, those in Malaysia, have been fortunate to witness Thomas announce his arrival on the big stage.

He claimed his breakthrough PGA TOUR title at the CI MB Classic at TPC Kuala Lumpur in 2015 and returned 12 months later to repeat successfully as champion.

His second title in Malaysia provided t he lau nch pad to a st u n n i ng 2016 -17 PG A TOU R ca mpa ign wh ich saw h i m winning four other tournaments including a f irst Major at the PGA Championship and culminating with the season-long and prestigious FedExCup crown and the Player of the Year award. “To win two in a row (in Malaysia) ranks right up there with my accomplishments,” said Thomas last year.

From initially displaying raw talent and tenacity – he’d bounced back from a double bogey with three straight birdies on the back nine to win by one from Adam Scott in Malaysia in 2015 – to soak up advice from golf great Jack Nicklaus who told him it pays to play conservatively when he does not have his ‘A’ game on given weeks. Thomas has become HKGOLFER.COM

a complete golfer in his drive to become the best golfer on the planet.

His triumph at the inaugural CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES in South Korea last October was another huge rubber stamp to his growing credentials and character. Battling fatigue, he dug deep into his reserves and ran on gas fumes to pip Marc Leishman in a playoff.

Thomas’ current season form is already impressive with a victory at the Honda Classic in February, four top-10s, four other top-20s and not a single missed cut from 11 starts at the time of writing. He is also intent on chasing a small slice of history as no FedExCup champion has repeated, not even Woods during his dominant years. “It's something I would like to do,” he said.

Woods, a 14-time major winner, spent a 683-week record atop the world ranking before being dethroned in 2014 with Johnson's reign lasting 64 weeks. As seen, Thomas’ first reign was short-lived, but the world ranking is so bunched up that it can change quickly. And Thomas certainly has the fire in the belly to stay in the dogfight.

His father, Mike, told the Sports Illustrated in June that his son was always determined to win. "He wasn't afraid to succeed. A lot of people are.

They like it back in fourth or fifth place. It's comfortable. Justin, he was pissed when he was second. That's stuff you just can't teach," said Mike.

Ultimately, it is clear that Thomas is unfazed to become one of the greats in the game. Despite his celebrity status, he remains as the guy next door – humble, approachable and respectful. Otherwise, why would he respond to a fan’s request via Instagram to help in a marriage proposal marriage? “It all worked out great,” Thomas said.

Whether he is inside the ropes or outside, Thomas has undoubtedly proven he is No. 1 no matter which way you look at him.

Chuah Choo Chiang is Senior Director, Communications of the PGA TOUR and is based in TPC Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.

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