Why Justin Thomas feels ‘weird’ on the brink of a surprising career

Going into the final round of the World Hero Challenge, Justin Thomas is suddenly on the precipice of a comeback victory. But there is one factor complicating his emotions with just 18 holes to go.

Thomas shot a six-under 66 in Saturday’s third round in Albany to overtake world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and take the lead. If he goes on to win, it would be his first win in more than two years, dating back to the 2022 PGA Championship.

Although the Hero is not an official PGA Tour event, victory would represent a major comeback for the star who has struggled on the course for years and would be a great sign of things to come in 2025.

But a few weeks ago, something even bigger happened in Thomas’ life: became a father for the first time.

Thomas and wife Jillian welcomed their daughter Molly into the world in mid-November, making it Thomas’ first time playing a tour as a father. It is also the first time he has been away from his wife and daughter for any length of time since the birth.

Given that reality, he has some mixed feelings swirling around inside his head this week, describing the push and pull between missing his family and trying to win a tournament as a “strange combination” in his press conference on Saturday evening.

“There’s been a lot of things going through my mind, but trying to play my best and missing my girls at home, yeah, it’s a weird combination,” Thomas explained. “Obviously I’ve never experienced it before, but I’m excited to have a chance to win tomorrow and also come home to see them tomorrow.”

Thomas also revealed that if he wins on Sunday, it will mark a career milestone for the Tour veteran: the first time his friend Tiger Woods has presented him with a trophy.

“That would be awesome,” Thomas said of the possibility of Tiger presenting him with the Hero gear. “I’ve had a few opportunities in the past, but it’s definitely something I’d like to check off my box at some point in my career.”

This week Thomas has shown undeniable improvement from the start of this season. It switched to a longer 46-inch drive shaft and claims to have gained 15 yards off the tee as a result. Win or lose, he acknowledged Saturday that the progress he’s worked so hard to see is finally coming to fruition.

“I’ve progressed well, I’ve been working on all the right things. You feel like I’ve seen signs of improvement, which is what you want, and that’s all I can do,” Thomas said. “I can’t control everyone else or what’s going on, I just have to keep playing as well as I can and hopefully that’s enough on Sunday.”