How Justin Thomas Could Become World #1 This Week

JT could secure the number one spot this week

How Justin Thomas Could Become World #1 This Week
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The world number two has another chance to reach the summit of world golf this week

How Justin Thomas Could Become World #1 This Week

Dustin Johnson has been world number one for well over a year now but his time atop of the golfing landscape could be up.

Justin Thomas is the man ready to usurp him and he could do it this week.

It would be fitting that JT reached the summit of world golf at Quail Hollow, the course where he lifted his first major trophy last August at the USPGA Championship.

The 24-year-old has been banging on the door all year and just needs a top-12 finish at the Wells Fargo.

Related: Wayne Riley - 'Tiger can still beat Jack's record'

JT could have become world number one at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in March by reaching the final but lost out to eventual winner Bubba Watson in the semis.

He then could have reached the top spot again a couple of weeks back at the RBC Heritage if Dustin Johnson finished outside of the top 32. He didn't.

However, he has it all in his hands again this week and looks odds-on to if he plays well. He has finished inside the top-12 in 10 of his last 16 starts.

Thomas revealed the pressures of how the looming world number one spot got to him at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. This is something he'll again have to deal with this week.

“I haven’t had such a hard time thinking about something so much,” explained Thomas.

“And that really sucked.

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“I couldn’t stop thinking about it, to be honest. And I think you’re constantly getting questions about it with the media.

“But I need to be mentally stronger than that, and understand that it’s just a match.”

The 24-year-old has won eight times on the PGA Tour now including his first major at the USPGA Championship in August.

Thomas has finished T17th at The Masters and has made his last 16 cuts in a row since The Open at Royal Birkdale in July, not including his 4th place finish at the Match Play.

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Elliott Heath
News Editor

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!


Elliott is currently playing:


Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: Titleist TSi2

Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1

Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

Ball: Srixon Z Star XV