Following his first round at The Open Championship at Royal Portrush, a tired Justin Thomas confessed to the media, “I’m just tired right now. It’s a long day. Yeah, I played really well.” Indeed, that is the case, but for more than one reason. For instance, despite his win at the 2025 RBC Heritage, the PGA Tour pro has missed cuts in 5 of his last 11 major appearances. At this point, making a difference at the ongoing The Open Championship becomes pertinent — even if it means making a plea to The Open Championship gods, for one simple reason.
The reason? Making it to the weekend rounds at Royal Portrush. Justin Thomas kicked off his The Open mission with Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood in his group. Having carded 1-over 72 in his opening round at Royal Portrush, Thomas knew he needed to score low enough to make it to the weekend rounds. And he did. After scoring 69 in his Friday round, Thomas will look to make a dent in his The Open record in the following rounds, even if he has to make a plea out of it. The conversation around Thomas making plea at Royal Portrush started following his second round, third hole.
On the third hole, he sank a stunning 29ft right-to-left putt, but instead of finding the bottom of the cup, the ball teased him by stopping inches shy. The crowd held its breath as Thomas waited for the ball to drop, but after a reasonable amount of time (and a 10-second countdown), it was clear the golf gods weren’t on his side. Thomas tapped in for a straightforward par putt, avoiding a potential penalty. “Fall in, it has to!” exclaimed the Sky Sports commentator, as per their video posted on X. Another broadcaster added, “He should blow on it,” capturing the moment’s absurdity. Thomas, being a showman, even tried leaning over and casting a Harry Potter-like spell on the ball. This made the crowd burst into laughter, but nothing made the ball go in.
Following this moment, Thomas updated his Instagram story and wrote a 6-word plea: “These need to drop this weekend!!!!!”
This isn’t the first time Thomas has prayed for luck to make it to the weekends. At the 2025 Genesis Scottish Open, Justin Thomas pulled off a last-minute miracle! Needing a miracle birdie on the 18th to make the cut, he rolled in a clutch putt, squeaking inside the cut line with a 1-under total. Following the Friday round, he took to Instagram and said, “Got ourselves two more rounds here at the @genesis_scottish_open. Time to make a move tomorrow!” He eventually finished T22 at the Genesis Scottish Open.
Justin Thomas, IMAGE CREDIT: Justin Thomas Instagram
Indeed, the balls need to drop at Royal Portrush simply because of his track record in The Open. And, of course, the upcoming Ryder Cup. When it comes to his The Open appearances (8), Justin Thomas has achieved only one top 15. His best Open finish remains a T-11 at the current venue in 2019. But if he continues with his strong runs in the following rounds, he will likely clinch his third major title and first The Open title.
On the other hand, Justin Thomas is currently 6th in the Ryder Cup rankings, and he will need to keep up a strong showing in the upcoming events to make it to Bethpage Black, even if that means getting used to the “ups and downs” of golf.
Justin Thomas is looking to learn from the highs and lows of golf
Justin Thomas is riding the waves of his golfing career, navigating through the inevitable “ups and downs” that come with the sport. Despite his struggles in major tournaments, where he has missed seven of 13 cuts since his PGA Championship win, Thomas has remained resilient. He currently ranks fourth in the FedEx Cup standings, thanks in part to his recent wins and top-10 finishes, even if it means achieving only 7 top 10s in his 16 appearances this season.
Still, Thomas took home the 2025 RBC Heritage title in April and followed up with a T2 finish at the 2025 Truist Championship, showcasing his skill and determination. Earlier this month, Thomas reflected on his career with a philosophical approach, saying, “I think there are a lot of different ways you can kind of go about it, especially if you’re fortunate to have a long career in any sport. In golf, you have plenty of ups and downs, and it’s kind of how you use them, right?”
He emphasizes the importance of learning from both the highs and lows, using those experiences to fuel his growth as a golfer. Justin Thomas now has a secure spot in the Ryder Cup, a stark contrast to two years ago when he was on the outside looking in – until Captain Zach Johnson extended an invitation.
With this opportunity, Thomas also looks forward to competing in another major international event and vying for the lucrative $25 million FedEx Cup prize. So, let’s hope Thomas’ plea works outside The Open as well.
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