Justin Thomas’ quadruple-bogey 9 leads to highest score of major career

The opening spherical of The Open was not variety to Justin Thomas.

Teeing off at 9:48 a.m. ET, the two-time main winner began the ultimate males’s main of the yr with a disappointing bogey, chipping right into a greenside bunker from brief and proper of the inexperienced together with his third shot. Irrespective of, he bounced again just a few holes later with a birdie on the par-5 fifth to get again to stage par.

That 4 could be one of many few brilliant spots on an in any other case disastrous Thursday at Royal Liverpool.

Thomas bogeyed the 2 remaining par-3s on the outward 9, and added a double bogey on the seventh, to make the flip at four-over. However rock bottom was nonetheless but to come back.

He tacked on two extra bogeys and a double on the again 9, with only a lone birdie on the cardboard, as he stepped to the 18th tee seven-over for the day. Needing par simply to get in the home within the excessive 70s isn’t a terrific place to be, however issues have been about to get a lot, a lot worse.

Thomas’ drive on the par-5 finisher flared proper, discovering the inner OB hugging the green, and he was compelled to reload for his third shot. His second tee ball discovered the brief stuff, however he hit his method into the devilish pot bunker guarding the entrance of the inexperienced.

With nearly zero probability to get his ball on the placing floor, Thomas opted to play out sideways … instantly into the adjoining bunker. Left with restricted choices as soon as once more, he performed out sideways into the thick tough close to the grandstand. He then hacked his seventh shot onto the inexperienced, took two putts from there and plucked his ball out of the opening with an unpleasant quadruple-bogey 9 on the scorecard.

“This has been a disastrous day for Justin Thomas,” analyst Paul Azinger mentioned on the USA broadcast. “It’s a lonely feeling. He’s actually going via one thing.”

Disastrous certainly. Thomas’ face instructed the entire story as he wore a glance of dejection on his face as he walked off the 18th inexperienced towards scoring.

Thomas’ 11-over 82 is a career-worst in majors and is simply the newest in a string of disappointing play for the 15-time PGA Tour winner this season. He’s completed inside the highest 10 simply 3 times in 2023 and has but to file a win. Worse but, within the main championships, he’s missed two cuts and completed T65 in his finest displaying.

Along with his disastrous 82 on the board Thursday night, Thomas is thrashing only one participant within the subject, with one other missed lower all however sure.

“When you’ve got [confidence]you by no means assume you’ll lose it,” Azinger mentioned. “And whenever you lose it, you by no means assume you’ll get it again.”

Golf is a tough sport — Thomas’ struggles are simply the newest instance.

Zephyr Melton

Golf.com Editor

Zephyr Melton is an assistant editor for GOLF.com the place he spends his days running a blog, producing and enhancing. Previous to becoming a member of the staff at GOLF, he attended the College of Texas adopted by stops with the Texas Golf Affiliation, Group USA, the Inexperienced Bay Packers and the PGA Tour. He assists on all issues instruction and covers novice and ladies’s golf. He will be reached at zephyr_melton@golf.com.