Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
No doubting Thomas
SPORTS World No 3 working hard to close out tournaments
JUSTIN Thomas admits he needs to get better at closing out tournaments as he looks to justify his billing as a strong favourite for the Mayakoba Golf Classic.
Thomas has won 13 times on the PGA Tour, including the 2017 US PGA Championship, but is unhappy that he has recently failed to add to his two titles so far in 2020.
The world No 3, who has finished no worse than 12th in his last five starts, told a pre-tournament press conference: “I played well this fall (autumn), but I feel like I’ve had a really good opportunity to win three times and I haven’t won any of them, so that’s a little disappointing.
“I think I have to find a little bit better way to kind of get focused or just to really close the deal because I had a 54-hole lead in LA (Zozo Championship) and didn’t get it done, had a co-lead for 36 at Augusta and had the lead through 18 at the US Open and I didn’t get it done at any of those.
“So I clearly need to work on something or get something improved to get it done when I get in those scenarios again. But I’ve been working hard and I feel good about my game.
“In terms of this week, I took a nice little break in kind of easing back into it starting at the end of last week.”
Thomas finished in a tie for 23rd in his only previous start at El Camaleon Golf Club in Playa del Carmen in 2014 and is wary of being distracted by the spectacular setting in his final event of the year.
“I’m glad to be back,” the 27-year-old added. “I played my rookie year, which I guess was six years ago, as crazy as it is.
“I kind of caught myself yesterday, I had to remind myself I’m at a golf tournament, I’m not on vacation. It’s so beautiful here.”