Justin Thomas has twice led the PGA Tour in earnings and looks as if he is ready to make another run at the tour’s money title after an early season win at the CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges. Thomas, who won the event in 2017 as well, shot a final-round 67 to beat Danny Lee by two strokes.
Thomas and Lee had separated themselves from the rest of the field, but not from each other. Thomas had an excellent lag putt from some 70 feet on the par-5 11th that led to a birdie but it only kept pace with Lee. Thomas finally took the lead on the short par-4 14th when he nipped a lob wedge to about six feet that led to a birdie and broke the deadlock with Lee. Bogeys by Lee on 15 and 16 gave Thomas a cushion as he closed out the round.
One of the more dynamic players in the game when he’s on, Thomas produced 27 birdies for the week, with 12 coming on the 16 par 5s he played. Thomas uses a Titleist TS3 driver with a Mitsubishi Diamana ZF 60TX shaft, and that club set him up nicely on many of the longer holes.
Thomas also was T-3 in greens in regulation, hitting 61 of 72 greens (84.7 percent) and 48 of his final 54. Thomas uses a split set of irons that include Titleist’s new T100 for his 4-iron and the company’s new 620 MB irons (that replaced the 718 MB’s he had been using) for his 5- through 9-iron. The grips are Golf Pride’s Tour Velvet.
On the greens, Thomas ranked 10th in putts per green in regulation, allowing him to convert many of those birdie opportunities. Thomas’ putter is a Scotty Cameron by Titleist X5 mallet with a SuperStroke Pistol GT Tour grip.
What Justin Thomas had in the bag at the CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Driver: Titleist TS3 (Mitsubishi Diamana ZF 60TX) , 9.5 degrees
3-wood: Titleist TS3, 15 degrees
5-wood: Titleist 915Fd, 18 degrees
Irons (4): Titleist T100 4-iron; (5-9): Titleist 620 MB; (PW): Titleist Vokey SM7
Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM7 (52, 56 degrees); Titleist Vokey SM6 (60 degrees)
Putter: Scotty Cameron by Titleist X5
