Justin Thomas is pulling out all the stops after a disappointing 2022-23 PGA Tour season. Despite missing the FedEx Cup Playoffs for the first time in his career, the fiery American was selected as a captain's pick for the 2023 U.S. Ryder Cup team set to compete at Marco Simone Golf Club in Rome from Sept. 29 - Oct. 1.
According to Golf Channel's Todd Lewis, Thomas not only parted ways with putting coach John Graham, but started to distance himself from his long-time swing coach Mike Thomas -- his father and PGA professional. Thomas denied being fired by his son despite the report never stating a clean separation between the two.
"You're kidding. That's just stupid," Mike Thomas told Golf Digest. "That's what some people in the media do. It's ridiculous. I just left Justin. We worked all morning. But, listen, if he did fire me, and it was for the better, then what's the problem? I guess they have to have something to talk about."
Mike did, however, state to Golf Digest the two worked less together during the 2023 season but have ramped up one-on-one instruction since May.
The confirmed departure of Graham in Thomas's camp come after the 15-time winner endured the worst season of his PGA Tour career. Thomas posted career lows in terms of top-five finishes, top 20s, strokes gained approach and strokes gained putting. The 30-year-old implemented the Aim Point green reading methodology in May at the Wells Fargo Championship to no avail.
JT putting in work 💪
— Golf on CBS ⛳ (@GolfonCBS) September 5, 2023
(via @JustinThomas34 IG) pic.twitter.com/rb5hN34s95
Thomas missed the cut in three of four major championships with the lone weekend tee time coming in his defense of the PGA Championship. The two-time major winner posted rounds in the 80s at both the U.S. Open and The Open adding to a total of six missed cuts in his final 12 starts of the season.
Given his status outside the top 50 in the FedEx Cup and potential to drop outside the top 30 in the Official World Golf Rankings, Thomas has added the Fortinet Championship to his schedule in hopes of playing his way into the signature events on the 2024 PGA Tour schedule.
The opener to the PGA Tour's new "FedEx Cup Fall" will be a litmus test for the world No. 25 who has not seen competition since the Wyndham Championship the first week of August. Thomas will then travel from Napa Valley to Rome where he will be a member of his third straight U.S. Ryder Cup team with hopes of recapturing his personal magic (and game) of the 2018 competition where he garnered a 4-1-0 record in his debut.
