JUSTIN TAKES A GIANT LEAP
GARY PlAYeR predicted a few years ago that the age of the little man in golf would be all but over by now, as the game moved to a more athletic phase favouring behemoth jocks such as Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka.
Yet on Sunday at Sawgrass, we discovered that a David equivalent could still throw his pebble in time-honoured fashion and take down Goliath, just as the South African once did.
At the Players Championship, 5ft 10in Justin Thomas, weighing in at just 10st, fired a final-round 66 to complete a fabulous 18-month body of work and end the 64-week reign as world No 1 of the mighty Johnson — so tall and athletically gifted he could have been a basketball player if he’d pursued that avenue instead of golf.
In all, it was quite the day for the underdog as unheralded Webb Simpson, who ended up last in the driving distance category, finished up first where it really mattered as he beat all the fancied names to collect the PGA Tour’s flagship title.
Of course, Thomas would have liked to reach the summit while holding a piece of silverware himself. The world rankings, though, are not based on weekly variations but over a two-year period, and that’s what makes them credible.
With seven wins in 18 months and a top-25 finish in all of the 12 tournaments he’s started this campaign, no one could deny that Thomas deserved to topple his fellow American and become the 21st golfer to plant his flag at the summit since the rankings began in 1986.
All through his teenage years Thomas watched his best pal Jordan Spieth take most of the plaudits and then, when they turned pro, most of the glory. But it’s going to be interesting to see who has won the most in another decade, when they’ve reached their mid-thirties.
Mind you, becoming world No 1 for the first time does things to a golfer. For Johnson, it was clearly the best thing that ever happened. His pride in achieving the position was reflected in his play as he won three events in a short period of time.
At the other end of the scale is Martin Kaymer, who found he didn’t have a head for such heights and duly fell off a cliff.
It will be surprising if Thomas doesn’t enjoy the view. ‘I want to stay on top for a long time,’ he said, and while it’s going to be hard initially with such a small points margin separating the leading five, there’s no reason why he won’t remain part of the conversation.
It says much for his unquenchable desire that, after finishing as Player of the Year last season, he had a sit-down with Jack Nicklaus and asked the great man what he needed to do to improve.
‘Make your bad golf better,’ said the Golden Bear, and Thomas has certainly done that with his consistent finishes.
Alongside Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler, he is showing that you don’t have to be a giant to still walk tall in golf.