OAKMONT, Pa. – Last week, an idea popped into Justin Thomas’s mind. He knew it was a bit far-fetched, even crazy, but on Monday at the U.S. Open, he had no problem admitting he’d considered the possibility: What would he have to do to catch up to world number 1, Scottie Scheffler?
I’m sure some people will laugh. But, can I reach it this year?
Justin Thomas
At first glance, Thomas is closer than most. The two-time major winner has climbed to number 5 in the world golf rankings this season. However, the difference between Scheffler and even the world number 2, Rory McIlroy, is so large (239 points, to be exact) that even the most competitive golfers in the world can be honest about their position.
Maybe Scottie won’t play or something. You can’t catch him if he keeps doing what he’s doing.
Justin Thomas
This is life with Scheffler at the top of the golf world.
Despite a slow start to his 2025 season, Scheffler has accelerated his game in the last two and a half months. Since the end of March, his worst result is a tie for eighth place at the RBC Heritage, a tournament that Thomas won. Scheffler has six top-5 finishes, has won three times in his last four starts, including last month’s PGA Championship, and is the clear favorite this week at Oakmont.
It’s effortless. Every aspect of his game is incredible. I think his mental game is better than anyone else’s here. Being able to play with those expectations and stay present as often as he does, for me is perhaps more impressive than the golf he’s playing. He just doesn’t make mistakes and almost allows himself to be in contention rather than forcing himself to be.
Justin Thomas
It’s that last part that Thomas himself is trying to work on. He admitted that in recent tournaments he’s allowed himself to be in contention for the first two rounds before trying to force it on the weekend. Thomas has six top-10 finishes this year, including a win, but finished T-36 at the Masters and missed the cut at the PGA Championship. In fact, since 2013, Thomas has missed six of 10 cuts in majors.
What Scheffler has apparently perfected is what Thomas knows he needs to do to even begin to think about closing the gap between them. The tantalizing part is that Thomas, 32, has already been there before, twice. In 2018, he was No. 1 for four weeks, and he returned to the top in 2020 for five weeks. However, the biggest obstacle now isn’t just himself or the state of his game, but the player who has become the standard in golf.
It’s still at the forefront of my mind, and it’s something I’m working on. Obviously, I can’t do anything about what [Scheffler] is doing, and he doesn’t seem to be showing any signs of slowing down or wanting to. I’m just trying to win some tournaments and, hopefully, get closer sooner rather than later.
Justin Thomas
