ATLANTA — Justin Thomas started the primary spherical 10 pictures again of Scottie Scheffler, as he arrived at East Lake because the Thirtieth-ranked participant—the final man within the discipline.
He confronted an awesome deficit when he and Christiaan Bezuidenhout teed off Thursday morning, the primary group to formally play the restored East Lake. However he made up for it with an excellent 5-under 66, a spherical that featured seven birdies.
“I performed actually strong at the moment and felt like I took benefit of the possibilities I had,” Thomas stated.
“If you happen to’re one or 2-over via 12 and beginning the place I’m, it’s a little bit of a buzzkill.”
Having began at even-par, Thomas knew he wanted to get off to a robust begin on Thursday, and due to his putter, he did. Thomas gained greater than a stroke on the greens through the first spherical, a stark distinction from how the flat stick has cooperated for him this season. Thomas ranks a hundred and sixtieth on tour in strokes gained placing and 144th in placing share inside 10 toes.
The 2-time PGA Championship winner didn’t miss a single putt from inside that distance on Thursday. He even drained a 16-footer for par on the third gap, which drastically stored his momentum. Contemplating he began with a bogey on the par-4 1st, essentially the most difficult gap on the course, Thomas wanted that putt to drop to offer himself an opportunity.
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A birdie on the par-4 4th rapidly adopted, and he was then nicely on his approach. Extra par-breakers on the sixth, eighth, twelfth, and 14th holes ensued, and all of a sudden, Thomas discovered himself at 4-under for the championship. He then dropped a shot on the par-4 sixteenth however bounced again with closing birdies on the seventeenth and 18th to cap a splendid begin within the sweltering Atlanta warmth.
In fact, the 95-degree temperatures, coupled with the newly constructed greens, have made East Lake’s placing surfaces as laborious as a rock. They’re agency, quick, and laborious, main some to match this course to a significant championship-like venue. Thomas knew that entering into, however he did touch upon the greens after his spherical, applauding the setup employees for his or her work.
“Undoubtedly appeared extra receptive than I believed they’ve been,” Thomas stated.
“Yeah, I don’t know if they only put plenty of water on them or what. They undoubtedly had been holding higher than I believed. I believed they did an amazing job… I’m positive it’ll go in waves of how they set the course up. But it surely was, I believed, pretty gettable at the moment.”
Thomas attacked the golf course when he may, and his aggressive play at occasions paid off. He soared up the leaderboard, out of the doldrums and into the precipice of rivalry, an amazing start thinking about the mighty deficit he initially confronted.
Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Enjoying By way of. You should definitely take a look at @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You may comply with him on Twitter @jack_milko as nicely.
