TIGER SPOKE JUSTIN TIME
Woods’ home truths fire pal Thomas up to blow away rivals
TIGER WOODS’ blunt advice helped Justin Thomas to master the challenge of Southern Hills in the wind yesterday.
The world No.9 shot his second successive 67 to set the early pace on the second day of the US PGA at six-under-par.
It came after he took to heart a barb from his friend Woods that his golf was not creative enough.
Thomas, the 2017 US PGA champ, said: “The first time that I played competitively with Tiger, I asked him ‘What do you see?’. He said: ‘You don’t move the ball enough’.
“For me it was a case of: ‘He’s pretty good, he said that, I should probably try it – and it being as windy as it was today, there was a lot of manipulating different shots.
“I played better today. It was a lot more difficult due to the wind but I stayed very patient, tried to get in my own little world and get in a zone and just tried to execute each shot the best I could,.
“I felt we did a great job of that and am glad to have a good round to show for it. There’s a lot of golf left, but if I keep doing what I’m doing I’m excited for the week.”
Thomas began his day on the back nine and birdied his first and fourth holes before dropping a shot at the par-three 14th where his tee shot landed in a front left greenside bunker.
But that was his only dropped shot as he moved into a share of the lead with Rory McIlroy, before the Northern Irishman had teed off for his second round, when he birdied the 660-yard par-five fifth despite finding a fairway bunker off the tee.
The 14-time Tour winner then grabbed the outright lead in style at his final hole, the par-four ninth, when he walked in a nine-foot birdie putt.
Thomas added: “We’re halfway through so it’s still a long way from home, but I’m very, very pleased with where everything is at and the frame of mind and state of mind that I’m in.
“I just need to try to maintain that the best that I can and keep trying to play good golf.”
Matt Fitzpatrick also made progress up the leaderboard, carding a 69 to head into the weekend at three under.
Fellow Englishman Tommy Fleetwood shot a 70 to remain at one over a shot ahead of Shane Lowry (72) and John Rahm (69) .
But world No.1 Scottie Scheffler crashed out after a 75 left him on six over, the same mark as US-based Scot Russell Knox who shot 72.