Justin Thomas says PGA Tour scheduling post-US Open will ‘really suck’
Justin Thomas celebrated a strong T2 finish at the Truist Championship on Sunday, weeks after his RBC Heritage win. Needless to say, the ace golfer has been having some of the best weeks of his season. However, he still isn’t fully convinced about signature events before or after major championship outings.
Having finished second on Sunday, Thomas will look to carry the form to the PGA Championship being played this weekend. Interestingly, he weighed in on the conversation surrounding major events’ placement on the PGA Tour schedule and said he ‘isn’t sure’ about it. While he failed to give a verdict on playing PGA Championship a few days after the Truist Championship, Thomas stated that playing an event days after the U.S. Open at Oakmont ‘is going to really suck.’
For the unversed, Travelers Championship is set to tee off on June 19, the week after the US Open. The 32-year-old claimed that ‘Oakmont is hard’ and following it up with a signature event would be tough.
Replying to a media query about playing signature events the week before and/or after a major, Justin Thomas said, as quoted by ASAP Sports:
“I don't know. I'm not sure. I think it can be tough, but it's very specific on the venue… To be perfectly honest, I think playing the week after the US Open at Oakmont is going to really suck. Oakmont is hard, and it's going to take a lot out of us.
That's really different than playing at a place where you're shooting 15-, 20-under, but it is what it is… We'll all be more than happy to tee it up, and there will be a winner at the end of the week.”
It is pertinent to note that Justin Thomas’ PGA Championship qualification has been a topic of debate in the golf world. The ace golfer’s RBC Heritage win was his first win since the 2022 PGA Championship. He will be eyeing the form for the major outing this weekend.
Rory McIlroy echoes Justin Thomas' mixed feelings about signature events around majors
Justin Thomas’ hot take on PGA Tour scheduling around major championships came around the same time Rory McIlroy criticized it. The Northern Irishman, who failed to defend his title and finished T7 at the Truist Championship on Sunday, said he isn’t a ‘huge fan’ of playing a signature event the week before or after a major event.
The five-time major champion echoed co-star Thomas’ hot take on the U.S. Open when he said the ‘weeks after majors are tough.’ Rory McIlroy said, as quoted by ASAP Sports:
“Before, I'm all for. After, I wouldn't -- I'm not a huge fan of it, but there's only so many weeks in the year… I really like playing the week before if it makes sense. I think, again, this week was a great indication of where my game is and what I need to think about and what I need to work on going into next week. But the weeks after majors are tough.”
It is pertinent to note that McIlroy had dubbed the Truist Championship a ‘good practice’ for the PGA Championship, despite its signature event status. Unlike the World No.2 golfer, ranking leader Scottie Scheffler even sat out the $20 million prize competition to prepare for the second major of the year.
It’ll be interesting to see if any of Justin Thomas, Scheffler, or other big-name golfers opt out of the Travelers Championship, falling days after the U.S. Open at Oakmont.