"It’s a great round but I’m a golfer” - Justin Thomas isn’t pleased with shooting 68 to take the solo lead at The Open Championship
Justin Thomas weathered the storm at the Open Championship to end his first round with the lead. He was the only player with a three-under score, putting him in pole position after 18 holes.
The course has been challenging for the opening round, but Thomas mastered it better than anyone has so far. Despite that, he's not totally pleased.
He said via Flushing It Golf on X, formerly known as Twitter:
“It’s a great round but I’m a golfer, there’s always room for improvement. Even when there isn’t, I’ll find something.”
Three under is a good score relative to how his fellow golfers are doing, but it's not exactly the greatest round Thomas has ever had. In fact, the other three Majors had first-round scores that surpassed his, though the Open Championship certainly provides a unique challenge.
Thomas was able to break a tie for first with several other golfers after a birdie on the 18th. It was one of his best holes of the day, and it has given him a brief lead heading into Friday's action.
Justin Thomas is trying to reverse course at Major championships. The PGA Tour star missed the cut at 11 over at the US Open, but before that, he was -13 and tied for eighth at the PGA Championship in his hometown of Louisville. He did miss the cut (seven over) at the Masters, though.
Justin Thomas will look to build on his success
The Open Championship can be one of the most grueling tournaments in golf. It is cruel and unforgiving, and it's pretty challenging to have four good rounds of golf. Even those who open well can and do fall off later in the tournament.
That's something Justin Thomas knows well. This is the fourth time he's shot in the 60s during the opening round at the Open Championship. The other three times did not yield positive results.
All three times, Thomas shot 77 or worse in the subsequent round, regressing significantly. After a 67 in the first round in 2018, he shot 10 strokes worse. In 2017, he had another 67 and followed it up with an 80. He missed the cut in both.
In 2016, the last time the Open was at Royal Troon (2024's venue), Justin Thomas shot a 67 in the opening round and followed it up with a 77 in round two. He didn't miss the cut, but he finished outside the top 50 in disappointing fashion.
This year, Thomas didn't shoot an exact 67 like all the other times. He shot 68 instead, and will also look to break the trend of poor follow-up rounds. Time will tell if he's able to do just that.