Two-time major champion Justin Thomas missed the cut at the US Open after a second-round 81; former world No 1 is without a victory since his PGA Championship success last May and in danger of dropping out of the world's top 20
Saturday 17 June 2023 19:35, UK
Justin Thomas has described his US Open performance as "the lowest I've felt" after his torrid form continued with an "embarrassing" missed cut in Los Angeles.
The former world No 1 has only won twice in his last 34 months and is without a victory since his dramatic 2022 PGA Championship success, where the overturned a seven-stroke deficit on the final day to defeat Will Zalatoris and claim the Wanamaker Trophy for a second time.
Thomas missed the cut at The Masters and narrowly avoided an early exit in his PGA Championship title defence last month, scraping through to the weekend on the cut mark, then came into the US Open off the back of a missed cut at The Memorial.
The 30-year-old described the way he has been playing in recent weeks as "never felt so far and so close at the same time", and he was encouraged by his game before posting a second-round 81 at Los Angeles Country Club.
"It's weird because I felt like I was playing the best I've played in a really long time this week, end of last week," Thomas said after his early exit. "It's a funny game, man. You know, it can leave you speechless good and bad, and right now it's unfortunately the bad.
"It's definitely the lowest I've felt. It's pretty humiliating and embarrassing shooting scores like that at a golf course I really, really liked. I thought it was set up really well.
"I worked so hard after Memorial (where he also missed the cut) and I was swinging great and I was really, really hitting a lot of good shots and I felt like I could 100 per cent win this golf tournament, and I didn't and obviously just played really poorly. Just gotta figure it out."
Thomas followed an opening-round 73 by mixing two birdies with seven bogeys and three double-bogeys on Friday in Los Angeles, with his 11-over 81 the second-highest score he has ever recorded in his PGA Tour career and seeing him finished tied-152nd of the 156 players involved.
"It was all pretty s*****," Thomas added. "Once I'm able to reflect and figure out what I can learn and get better from, it'll end up good. But it sucks right now."
Thomas, who came into the week 78th in the FedExCup standings and in danger of failing to qualify for the season-ending play-offs, is now scheduled to feature at the Travelers Championship and Genesis Scottish Open before appearing at The 151st Open next month at Royal Liverpool.
"I just finished shooting 81, so it's a little hard to say right now, but I'll figure it out," he said. "I have another major left; you know, I go and win [The Open Championship], no one even remembers that I missed the cut by a zillion here.
"I've just got to try to find a way to get better and learn from this, and if I can, I don't have to look at this week as a total failure."
Who will win the 123rd US Open? Watch the final round live on Sunday from 5.30pm on Sky Sports Golf and 9pm on Sky Sports Main Event.
