With the FedExCup playoffs getting underway this week outside Boston, Justin Thomas found an opportune time to check out the upcoming U.S. Open venue.
Thomas played two rounds at Winged Foot (alongside Tiger Woods) earlier this week in anticipation of next month’s U.S. Open.
And the verdict?
“It’s really hard,” he said Tuesday. “I absolutely loved it. It’s one of my favorite, if not my favorite courses I’ve ever played. It’s right there in front of you. It’s not tricked up. Nothing is hidden. You just stand on the tee and you’re about 490 yards away and you have a really narrow fairway and a pretty severe green. There’s a lot of holes like that.”
Thomas has made five U.S. Open appearances and called Winged Foot “probably the most U.S. Open venue that I’ve seen. It checks all the boxes. It’s long. It has narrow fairways. It’s going to be long rough and severe greens.”
Given the week off before the start of three tournaments in a row, Thomas wanted to make sure he got a sneak peek at the U.S. Open before the tournament, rescheduled for Sept. 17-20. Two weeks ago, Thomas hopped on a plane straight from the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational (which he won) to TPC Harding Park in San Francisco. Normally, he wouldn’t practice or play the day after a win, but having never seen Harding Park Thomas felt compelled to start scouting. He tied for 37th at the PGA Championship and lost his No. 1 world ranking.
“I was not going to make that mistake again for the U.S. Open, and I was very fortunate with us playing up here in the north to just go check it out for two rounds,” he said. “That way whenever I do decide to (come up for U.S. Open week), I’m not completely starting from scratch.”
