“Don’t Have the Mental Capacity”: Justin Thomas Reveals Honest Routine After a Terrible Start
September 27, 2025, Farmingdale, Ny, United States: FARMINGDALE, NY - SEPTEMBER 27: Justin Thomas of Team USA nods to the crowd during the Ryder Cup - Afternoon Fourball Matches at Bethpage Black Golf Course on September 27, 2025 in Farmingdale, NY. Farmingdale United States - ZUMAt139 20250927_aaa_t139_167 Copyright: xJasonxAllen/IsixPhotosx
September 27, 2025, Farmingdale, Ny, United States: FARMINGDALE, NY - SEPTEMBER 27: Justin Thomas of Team USA nods to the crowd during the Ryder Cup - Afternoon Fourball Matches at Bethpage Black Golf Course on September 27, 2025 in Farmingdale, NY. Farmingdale United States - ZUMAt139 20250927_aaa_t139_167 Copyright: xJasonxAllen/IsixPhotosx
Justin Thomas felt the rusty swing upon his return to active competition after his lower back surgery. In the opening round at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, he shot a seven-over 79 and ranked last on the leaderboard.
He’ll enter the second round early in the morning. So, does he have any plan for the evening, and would he change anything in his routine or preparation?
Speaking of his evening plans, Thomas told the media at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge, “I'll go hit a couple putts. I probably would maybe go hit a couple balls, but I just really don't have the mental capacity to go do that much.”
“So just go do literally a couple minutes of stuff and, yeah, physio and go home and try to go to sleep and do it again tomorrow.”
September 26, 2025, Farmingdale, Ny, United States: FARMINGDALE, NY - SEPTEMBER 26: Justin Thomas of Team USA lines up a putt on hole 11 during the Ryder Cup - Afternoon Fourball Matches at Bethpage Black Golf Course on September 26, 2025 in Farmingdale, NY. Farmingdale United States - ZUMAt139 20250926_aaa_t139_016 Copyright: xAlxChang/IsixPhotosx
September 26, 2025, Farmingdale, Ny, United States: FARMINGDALE, NY - SEPTEMBER 26: Justin Thomas of Team USA lines up a putt on hole 11 during the Ryder Cup - Afternoon Fourball Matches at Bethpage Black Golf Course on September 26, 2025 in Farmingdale, NY. Farmingdale United States - ZUMAt139 20250926_aaa_t139_016 Copyright: xAlxChang/IsixPhotosx
We definitely saw Thomas struggling with his swings. Still on the road to complete recovery following his microdiscectomy, the 32-year-old couldn’t seem to generate enough power through his lower body.
But there was one more aspect of his game that seemed to have collected rust.
Justin Thomas Has Already Broken Down the Rust in His Game
Talking about the rustiest part of his game on Thursday, Thomas said, “I putted terrible today. I had a hard time gauging the speed. But just a lot of little stuff.”
He missed putts at numbers 1, 7, 10, 11, and 13, even though the ball was within 10 feet. Overall, he made 58 feet worth of putts on day one of the Arnold Palmer Invitational. But he agreed that the scores were lower than what they should have been.
“I could not keep my concentration for the life of me on the back nine,” Thomas continued. “A couple times, had to back off because I’d walk into the shot and have no idea what I was even trying to do. It was good to play, honestly, a 18 hole pro-am yesterday for me to get used to being out here that long and trying to concentrate that long. I haven't done that in a while.”
Nevertheless, he tried not to make any excuses for so many mistakes upon his return. But he seemed hopeful for the next day.
Can he actually turn the tide on Friday? Tell us in the comments and read more at Daily Club Golf!
Written by
Krushna Pattnaik
Edited by
Oajaswini Prabhu