MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 4, 2023

Justin Thomas

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, I'm very pleased to welcome Justin Thomas back to Augusta National for his eighth appearance in the Masters Tournament.

Welcome back, J.T. and let me start by congratulating you on your 2022 PGA Championship, and of course, that win marked your second major. So congratulations on that accomplishment.

At the Masters, you've been inside the top 10 on two occasions, in 2020 and of course last year in 2022, and over those three years, those three tournaments, you've tied for the most birdies and eagles with 57. That's impressive. But with all of those recent successes in nine months, why don't you share with us how you feel that sets you up for the 2023 Masters Tournament.

JUSTIN THOMAS: Sound like I need to make a lot less bogeys and doubles from that stat you just gave me. I always love coming here. I think it's a wonderful, just an unbelievable atmosphere and event.

Obviously the golf course, it is what it is. It's right in front of us. And yeah, it is one of those places that the more you play it, the better I feel like you get to know it, and I feel like I have a pretty good -- really good idea of how to play it, and at that point it's just about going out and executing and hitting the shots when you need to and making the putts.

Q. With that stat, is there anything in your strategy that could help avoid bogeys that you might change? And then also, you're changing style of putting grip this week. What does that do for you as far as putting and your stroke?

JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah, terms of the strategy, I mean, a lot of it is just taking kind of each hole and each shot for what it's worth, if that makes sense. So look at a hole like 7, for example. 7 for me, I'm sure a lot of guys would agree, it's a very sneaky hole to where it's a tough drive and it's visually not super appealing. You have -- especially as a cutter of the ball, I realistically have 70 percent size of the fairway, if you draw it, I would say.

But that said, if I hit a good drive, I have a wedge in there. That's a great example of a hole, if you hit a good drive, it becomes a birdie hole. If you hit it in the rough, you get it out of play, and now you're trying to make par.

If I had to put a finger on it, in the past I would say there are times I'm between clubs or it's a longer hole or maybe it's a hole like 7 where I get it out of the position off the tee and I'm just making it a little too hard on myself to make pars. Maybe I'm trying to force the issue and squeeze a 4-, 5-, 6-iron in there, if I'm in between clubs, challenging a pin, I don't need to.

I'm glad I heard that. Hopefully that will help me for the week.

In terms of the putter grip, yeah, it's a grip -- actually I played with Rory last week, and he had it. And I've seen it. It's very similar to a grip I've used and won with quite a bit. And my dad had it as well. We played on Sunday, and I picked his up and I said this does feel pretty good. I've traveled with an identical backup every single week, and I just threw it on there to see how it felt, to be perfectly honest, and feels pretty good, so why fight it.

Q. I know you're not in favor of the ball roll-back, but let's say it happens in '25. How would that affect how the No. 13th hole is playing now, already 35 extra yards, if that happens?

JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah, I'm sure that Augusta National would love to be able to go back and sell the land that they bought. Yeah, it's one of the things that it would be very unfortunate, or I'm sure plenty of golf course changes that have happened would not really be able to be used.

But yeah, it would definitely make the hole quite a bit different for how much it's changed in the last year.

Q. Would anybody go for it?

JUSTIN THOMAS: I can't imagine. I have absolutely no idea how far the ball would go. But I can't imagine. I still believe very strongly that all of us are going to find a way, whether it's changing equipment or whatever it would be, to find a way to hit as far as we possibly could.

But yeah, that's just such a hypothetical, it's hard, and I honestly haven't played enough with it to know.

Q. You recently dropped out of the top 10 in the World Rankings for the first time in six years. I know how competitive you are. How tough has it been, coinciding with it feels like right now there are a big three that have separated themselves?

JUSTIN THOMAS: Well, I mean, is there a question there? I'm not really sure what...

Q. Yeah, does it light a fire under you?

JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah.

Q. To see them stronger?

JUSTIN THOMAS: For sure, definitely any time you have competition, whether it's -- at least to me, especially being the same age group, I think Jordan playing well is good for me, and I don't know, I can't speak on behalf of him, but I would think that me playing well is good for Jordan. I just think that we are kind of pushing each other. We don't want to lose to each other, so on and so forth.

I think it's very similar with how I feel about Scottie, Rory and Rahm. I've obviously played against Scottie a lot less just in terms of him only being on TOUR a couple of years. You never want your competitors to have a longer, deeper accomplishment list than you, at least I would think the majority of the field would feel that way. I know that I do.

But at the same time, I can't play the comparison game. I can get in trouble with that. And I mean, I have in the past, of, well, I've done -- I would maybe come off of a great year winning two, three, four times, but I'm like, well, but Brooks won two majors. It's like, well, yeah, but I won three times, finished in the top 10 twelve times.

It's one of those things that I need to take care of me and worry about myself. And if I can do that and just get to where I know that I can be, then I feel like the rest will kind of fall into place and take care of itself.

Q. I'll get to the question sooner next time.

JUSTIN THOMAS: Sorry.

Q. Can you want something too much that would throw off your level of preparation and keeping your expectations even-tempered going in?

JUSTIN THOMAS: I know I personally can definitely want something too much. I've wanted to win this tournament too much in the past. I've wanted to be No. 1 in the world too badly. I've wanted to win golf tournaments too badly.

It's a fine line. It's like anything. It's a learning experience and a learning process. I think I'm starting to learn a little bit more. I would much prefer be No. 1 in the world and be winning every tournament I'm playing in and not having to figure it out the tough way.

But you know, there's a lot of good that can come out of, you know, some negative experiences if you choose to look at it that way. I feel like in the past, especially in this tournament, I've come in here just like kind of so tense and so just like, oh, I'm geared up and I'm ready to go. Like I'm going to tear this place up. And it's just as soon as one thing goes wrong, it's just, I mean, my mind is in a blender. It's like, well, I didn't think I was going to do it over here. I thought I was going to hit over here, vice versa, so on, so forth. Next thing you know, you shoot 73, 74 the first day, like I've done a handful of times, and you're just playing catch-up.

It's just more trusting in yourself and just believing that, you know, things will fall into place and things will happen, as opposed to -- it's one thing to try to make things happen when you have four or five holes left in the golf tournament and you're two or three shots back. I think that's a very different animal than trying to win the tournament on the first nine of the first day, if that makes sense.

Yeah, I definitely think that you can want things too bad and try too hard.

Q. Can you describe your feelings and intensity on the first tee and how they might change throughout the week?

JUSTIN THOMAS: The first tee, at least to me, is definitely more nerve-wracking than any first-tee shot, barring a team event or Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup. Especially for how sneaky of a hole it is, and obviously everybody wants to get off to a good start.

So you don't want to just take it lightly. It looks like a big fairway out there, but it seems like every year, naturally, those trees are just going and get a little bigger and bigger and they are kind of blocking more and more out. Then it's like you don't want to hit it in the bunker.

It definitely takes some attention and wanting to focus, but it's just, I don't know, it's a very difficult -- clearly a very difficult thing to describe, but it's just a very -- it's like a calming yet nervous feeling. I don't know what word you use to describe that.

But it's just very calming because all the Patrons and, you know, "Fore please, Justin Thomas now driving," and everybody claps, and you get the first-tee jitters and the nerves. It's like you have the calmness, the fans, getting ready, kind of rearing up, and then it just goes dead silent, and then all of a sudden it hits you that you're hitting the tee shot at Augusta.

It's very hard to describe, but it's a very cool feeling.

Q. Because the golf course is so exacting, how do you and Bones find the balance between exhibiting caution and taking chances?

JUSTIN THOMAS: Well, I'm very fortunate. For me, I usually don't have to talk Bones too much into being aggressive due to maybe some past experiences that he's had (smiling). So I definitely have that going for me.

But I think like any week, and especially don't try to make anything more of it this week just because it's the Masters, is like any week, is, hey, you're just going to have days where you're in between clubs and you don't have good lies, and you don't have the right winds, the pin setup, whatever it is. There's just times where you need to be cautious or maybe aggressive but to a more conservative line.

Then you're going to have days where it just seems like every time you get out there, oh, this is a perfect 9-iron, oh, this is a perfect 8-iron, oh, this is another perfect 9-iron, I can cut this perfectly into this pin.

I think when you have that, but also kind of getting a rhythm and your swing feels good and everything feels good, then I think you can attack and be a little bit more aggressive. But that's just something that I've learned over the years on TOUR is I can't take the exact same game plan into the week regardless of how I'm playing.

Yeah, you have an idea in your head of, oh, if I hit it good, I'm going to hit a perfect cut drive on No. 1 up there and I'm going to hit a pitching wedge in and hit my distance and I'm going to make a birdie and move on. But maybe I don't feel as good over it to where I'm like, well, it's a bigger fairway with 3-wood today, and maybe because I don't feel as good with my driver, I'm going to hit a 3-wood over here, and then I'm just going to realistically try to make par on this hole and then make hay on holes when I have a chance.

It's more taking a part of where I feel like I'm at, and then Bones and I can kind of create a game plan maybe that specific hole or day because of it.

Q. When you go through your pre-week practice rounds and stuff like that, are you still learning things about the golf course and how to play it, or is it just a matter of getting comfortable out here and fine tuning stuff in your game? You've obviously had a lot of advice from Tiger over the years, and I'm sure from Bones as well. I'm curious how your preparation has changed over the years here.

JUSTIN THOMAS: My preparation has probably been less because I think you can almost work yourself into some bad habits or thinking too much. Like I said, I have a really, really good idea of how to play this place. I know what pins are where and where to hit it, where not to hit it, and certain winds, you know, if a shot plays shorter or longer, and Bones knows the exact same thing and which putts are a little faster than others and break a little more than others.

So it's more just trying to get a feel for the golf course. I would say that I'm spending less time -- I mean, I could spend hours on this practice facility just hitting different chips, going to both greens. Yeah, you need to get your work done and you need to get accustomed to the turf, the greens and how the ball is reacting to different spins and whatnot. For me, it's just getting my work done.

And then a day like today is a good example. My speed felt good, lag putting on the course. I did about 30 minutes of good work, and I'm like, I don't need to putt anymore. I'm just going to end up creating a problem.

Same with the range. I knew something I kind of needed to work on, and hit ten balls, over-exaggerated it, felt good and just get out of it. To me, if I'm here till four or five in the afternoon, it's a long, grueling afternoon, and if you hope to play like you'd like to play and be in the last couple groups on Saturday and Sunday, it's even more exhausting. So just try to get some rest.

Q. Can you go back to the 2017 Presidents Cup when Tiger was vice captain, what was his enthusiasm and energy like? Do you have any funny stories about that week about Vice Captain Woods?

JUSTIN THOMAS: I would say when we started to get a little bit closer, I think we've been, call it, friends for a couple years, but that was probably when I started spending more time with him on the golf course and whatever.

I just remember I couldn't wait to ask him just go make me a sandwich, like: You're my vice captain this week; you have to do whatever I say, and all of us. I never in my life thought I would be bossing Tiger Woods around and he had to listen to me because he's a vice captain.

But my only funny story, and I hate to do this to him, poor guy's been hurt, but I have to do it.

Daniel Berger on the team, I remember Tiger was in Berg's, like, pod. He was like their team captain pod or whatever. I don't know if he was paired with Brooks or someone, but Berg went to, I don't know if it was Freddie or someone, and said, "Tiger can't come with our group."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm too nervous playing in front of him."

He's like, "Dude, he's on our team. Like he's our captain."

He's like, "I can't do it, you have to send somebody else with our group."

So when we thought we had him to use to our advantage, to make the other team nervous, that actually made some of our own team members nervous. So there's that.

Q. Did he literally make you a sandwich?

JUSTIN THOMAS: I'm sure I got a couple words said back to me and he just put it on somebody else.

Q. Talking about how surreal it is to be good friends with a guy who I guess was your idol or one of your idols as a child, you've played lots of practice rounds with Tiger, I'm sure when you're in Jupiter, but when you're at Augusta National Golf Club playing with Tiger Woods, is there anything extra special or surreal about him, given all the memories of him winning here?

JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah, not to take anything away from Tiger, but Freddie, too. He's a legend and he's just so entertaining and funny to, honestly, just listen talk.

I've said it for a handful of years now. I just follow those two around like a little puppy dog. They know how to get around this place, and all of us do, but every year, we hit chips from the same place and we hit lag putts from the same place. It's just great company.

I'm very, very lucky that I get thrown into that group every year, and we've had a lot of fun over the years. You know, hope to do it for many more. Although Freddie keeps continuing to hit it further and further. I don't know if I'm going to risk the opportunity of getting out-driven by him anymore, so this may be the last year if he keeps starting to send it.

Q. I noticed that today.

JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah.

Q. You're such a good wedge player and short iron, but curious what your process is for dialing those in on an important week like this week?

JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah, a lot of the work, I would hope I wouldn't have to do here. It's a lot of work at home. It's really, for me, it depends very much on the conditions, and the pin, obviously. If it's a back pin, front pin, and slopes and whatnot.

But first thing always have to do is assess the lie, and from there it's like, okay, I can hit any shot or I can only hit a certain kind of shot. Then, you know, what trajectory, and that's when I'm looking up and maybe I want to apex at the top of this cloud or maybe just underneath the treeline, or you have to be creative sometimes. I can kind of see maybe a camera tower behind the green that I want it to land and spin one way.

I think for me, I can fall into a lull with the wedges and just think, like, okay, it's a hundred yards, it's a full lob wedge, whereas I need to be a little more creative and see exactly what kind of spin and whatnot I want to do.

It's really just feel. I'm not like a clock system guy. It's just, you know, how far back do I feel like I need to take it to hit it that far. As random as it sounds, it's also been a lot of practice and repetition to where I can kind of get that feel engrained in my head. There are some weeks where maybe my feel with the ball is going a little further or certain days that I can dial that back, or try to. Yeah, it's just kind of feeling it out.

Q. How many wedges do you hit in a practice round? How much time are you spending?

JUSTIN THOMAS: Quite a bit. It's a great facility here with that green. You need to do a lot -- I think that's a very important yardage here, both with the par 5s, but also, if you do get in the trees on par 4s and kind of pitching one in front of the green, I think that 50 to 75 yards is an important yardage to have dialed in this week; and that's one that I have not felt very good with in the past couple months and I've struggled with.

So I really -- I worked hard on it last week, and then even just when I finished today, I probably spent 20, 25 minutes alone just hitting 50 to 75 yards, low, high, cut spin, draw spin, all kinds of things to try to get comfortable with how far the ball was going was matching how far I felt it was going. And then once I felt like it did, at a certain number, I would move on, and then, you know, kind of like I said earlier, once I was good, I was good.

Q. Rory was in here earlier, and he was talking about his 64 last year final round, holes out, happiest moment of his career at this course and that feeling of being in contention, even if he was still losing to Scottie by a decent amount. Curious if you had a happiest moment or round or feeling from a round that you tried to replicate?

JUSTIN THOMAS: Friday last year was hands down the best round I've played out here. It was extremely windy. It was brutal. It was pretty cold, and I just had total, total control of my ball. It was just sometimes when I, for some reason, get in those conditions, I kind of turn something on, and I was just insanely focused.

I remember I was paired with Hideki and James Piot, and James was an amateur at the time, and I almost remember pumping myself up and telling me, just be like, you know, let's show this amateur how it's done out here, kind of thing, or let's -- sometimes, it sounds arrogant when you say it, but it's just like, hey, I want to show him he doesn't have this shot or he's not capable of doing it. Not that it was any -- unfortunately that's just who I was playing with, so that's the way that it worked out. It wasn't anything personal.

For me, that was the best round I played. I mean, making a hole-in-one on 16 on Sunday, I would have to say the happiest. Actually, that's not true. The hole-in-one in the Par-3 Contest when Rickie and I went back-to-back, that was the most fun I've had out here for sure.

Q. With the 18 LIV guys in the field this week, seems like everyone is getting along and playing nice. Has it been awkward or business as usual?

JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah, I mean, I haven't really talked to any of them. I don't know if it's just been coincidence or I've just kind of had the blinders on. I've just been business. I'm not too worried about what they are doing and just trying to take care of myself.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Justin, and good luck this week.