Justin Thomas, once a favorite to win the Valspar Championship, suffered a dramatic downfall in the third round, going from first place to near-last on the leaderboard. His aspirations to break his 21-month victory drought seemed promising as he began the day, birdieing the first hole and bolstering his position in Florida.
That's like 1 in 1,000,000
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— Golfbet (@Golfbet) March 23, 2024
However, his fortunes quickly turned sour on the par-four second hole, where despite a strong approach, he faltered with a three-putt, setting a pattern for the day. Consecutive bogeys followed, compounded by missed birdie opportunities, including a frustrating six-foot putt on the sixth.
The seventh hole proved disastrous as Thomas missed a short-range attempt, resulting in a double bogey. His struggles persisted throughout the front nine, with further bogeys leaving him five-over-par by the turn. The back nine didn’t offer respite, with additional bogeys at the tenth, 12th, and 14th, culminating in a disappointing eight-over 79 for the round.
Thomas’ woes were largely attributed to putting, evidenced by his 38 putts, a stark contrast to his previous rounds. Despite his struggles, Thomas had shown improvements in 2024, with notable finishes in previous events. However, the timing of his poor performance, just weeks before the Masters, raises concerns as he seeks his first green jacket at Augusta National.
With the Masters looming, Thomas’s absence from upcoming tournaments indicates this may be his final opportunity to fine-tune his game before the prestigious event. Despite his past successes, including a fourth-place finish in 2020, Thomas faces an uphill battle to regain momentum and contend for golf’s most coveted title.