Thomas Struggling To Make The Wyndham Cut As FedEx Cup Hopes Hang In The Balance
Justin Thomas ended the first round of the Wyndham in T68 and in danger of missing the cut and ending his FedEx Cup Playoff hopes
Justin Thomas endured another frustrating day at the office and is in danger of missing the cut at the Wyndham Championship which would end his hopes of making the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
Thomas shot a level-par round of 70 in the rain to end the day eight shots off leader Russell Henley down in T68 and in danger of missing the cut for the sixth time in eight starts.
It would also see the two-time Major champion miss the FedEx Cup Playoffs for the first time after qualifying for seven straight seasons - as he sits down in 79th and would likely need a top-five finish to crack the top 70.
Shane Lowry, who started the week in 76th in the FedEx Cup standings, did a little better with a two-under round of 68 while Adam Scott shot a fine 65 to sit in T5.
As it stands, that finish would be enough for the former World No.1 to scrape into the Playoffs and into the field for next week's FedEx St Jude Championship.
It's Thomas that is really under pressure though after what he called a frustrating first round where he could just not hit it close enough to make birdies.
"It was a little frustrating," said Thomas. "Having a little hard time getting things going, and I feel like I had a couple chances there on my front nine but especially my back nine there to, you know, shoot two or three under today.
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"The weather was a bummer, when I woke up and looked at it this morning, didn't think I was going to be playing 16 holes in rain. So that's a bummer, especially in the position that I'm in and the scores that I need.
"I felt like I was pretty patient. I felt like I hung in there, I just didn't hit it very close to the hole. I hit a couple bad wedges and short irons with the ball at my feet, just kind of struggled with trust and swinging with the slope.
"I mean, the rain was honestly more frustrating than anything. You couldn't get consistency with how the ball would react and whatnot with the rough."
Saving par from the thick stuff 👀 A ridiculous up-and-down from the co-leader @AdamScott @WyndhamChamp. pic.twitter.com/7cSIR31zBoAugust 3, 2023
Thomas only put the Wyndham and last week's 3M Open on his schedule in a bid to make the Playoffs and show some form to try and get a Ryder Cup pick from Zach Johnson - but missing the cut in both would also put that in huge doubt.
Scott is staying relaxed about the FedEx Cup Playoffs, where he started the tournament in 81st so will need something inside a top-five finish to crack that all-important top 70.
"It is what it is," said the former Masters champion. "I feel like when I come out to play golf, I'm there to give it my best shot and if I make it, I make it, and if I don't, I don't.
"I've had a lot of years having a go at the FedExCup Playoffs and all these kind of things come to an end at some point. But for sure, I mean, I want to win this tournament and if I do that, I can have a really good run right through to East Lake, I believe."
Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website. Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush.
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