Thomas: New year brings opportunity
The next season on the PGA Tour already has the perception of being two tours. The elite are in the $20 million signature events with a big boost in FedEx Cup points. The rest are playing for less money ($8.5 million on average) and having to play well to advance their stock.
But being in that top group still has to be earned.
Justin Thomas, who didn’t have an elite year, wonders why some of the rank-and-file complain about advantages for the perennially top players instead of seeking inspiration from the likes of Eric Cole and Adam Schenk.
“I think it’s the easy thing to do, honestly, to sit there and say: ‘Why me? Why is this happening to me? Why are they getting this?’” Thomas said.
Cole spent a decade on the minitours, finally worked his way up to the PGA Tour and finished at No. 43 in the FedEx Cup in his rookie season to get into all the big-money tournaments next year. He went from No. 384 to No. 41 in the world ranking and he’s headed to the Masters.
Thomas singled out Schenk. His average FedEx Cup position in his five years on tour was No. 103 (his best was No. 71 in 2019). He not only qualified for the Tour Championship, he was three shots off the lead going into the second round at East Lake and tied for ninth. He’s in all the big events next year, including the four majors.
Cole and Schenk are the only two players who went from outside the top 150 in the world to the top 50 without having won a tournament. That’s how consistently well they played.
Thomas, meanwhile, failed to qualify for the FedEx Cup postseason for the first time. He likely will get sponsor exemptions to signature events if he doesn’t earn his way back. His argument was more geared toward opportunities for everyone.
“If you would have put us side by