Justin Thomas thought he was outside the top 30, but made the cut on the flight home

Justin Thomas found himself in a precarious position ahead of the BMW Championship and with his place in the Tour Championship hanging by a thread, So much so, that Thomas gave a somber assessment of his season, knowing the odds were stacked against him:

“I’m just going home. Going to go back to Jupiter. There’s no need for me to sit here and stress this out all afternoon. It sucks, but it’s the position I put myself in. I’m happy to go home and get a couple nights at home and then hopefully head to Atlanta on Tuesday.”

Justin Thomas reflected on the slim chances he had of making it to Atlanta. But in a dramatic turn of events, Justin Thomas clinched the 30th and final spot in the FedEx Cup standings, defying expectations and securing his place in the Tour Championship. 

Justin Thomas’ Road to Atlanta: An Unexpected Qualification

As Justin Thomas entered the BMW Championship, the second leg of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, his outlook was grim:

“I’d say it’s been a good year,” Thomas remarked when asked to reflect on his season. “I feel like I’ve done a lot of really good things. I just haven’t scored as well as I feel like I’ve kind of played, especially these last couple of tournaments.”

His words carried the weight of a golfer who knew he had given his all but might still fall short. The biggest obstacle, as Justin Thomas himself noted, was the lack of a win.

“The biggest thing is I just haven’t won,” he said. “And I think that’s really the only thing or the difference of keeping it from being a really, really good year.”

Despite the odds and Justin Thomas’ own reservations, fate took an unexpected turn during the final round of the BMW Championship. While Justin Thomas finished in a tie for 39th, far from his best performance, the real drama unfolded elsewhere on the course.

Swedish golfer Alex Noren, who was on track to secure his own spot in the Tour Championship, faltered in the final stretch. Noren bogeyed his last three holes, slipping from a projected top-30 finish to outside the cutoff line, effectively handing Thomas the coveted 30th spot.

“My destiny is probably a lot more in the hands of, unfortunately, other people than my own unless I shot 10- or 11-under today,” Thomas had said, fully aware that his chances of qualifying were slim.

Yet, in a twist of fate, Thomas found himself back in the mix, heading to Atlanta for the Tour Championship.

When asked about his unexpected qualification, Thomas expressed a mix of relief and disbelief:

“I feel like I somewhat did my part; hopefully, it pans out,” he had stated earlier, not knowing that Noren’s stumble would indeed make it all pan out in his favor.

The golfer who just days before had been contemplating the end of his playoff run was now headed to East Lake, albeit with a significant challenge ahead.

Justin Thomas’ journey to the Tour Championship has been anything but straightforward. The former world number one and two-time major winner entered the season with high expectations, but reality quickly set in as he struggled to find his form. Thomas missed five cuts in his last seven starts before the Wyndham Championship, a stark contrast to the player who had once dominated the PGA Tour.

Yet, despite the setbacks, Thomas remained focused and determined. His performance at the BMW Championship, though not stellar, showcased his resilience. On the final day, Thomas managed a 4-under 68, his first sub-70 round of the week. “You have to play well,” Thomas said after the round, acknowledging that while his performance wasn’t enough to secure a high finish, it was enough to keep him in the running for a spot at East Lake.

The season has also been marked by significant changes in Thomas’ professional life. Earlier in the year, he made the surprising decision to part ways with his longtime caddie, Jim ‘Bones’ Mackay, before the Masters.

The move was a clear indication that Thomas was searching for a spark, something to reignite his game. While the immediate results were mixed, Thomas’ perseverance has paid off in the most dramatic way possible.

As Thomas prepares for the Tour Championship at East Lake, he knows the challenge ahead is daunting. As the 30th-ranked player, he will start the tournament at even par, a full 10 strokes behind Scottie Scheffler, who leads the standings.

The starting-strokes format gives players at the top of the leaderboard a significant advantage, meaning Thomas will need to play near-perfect golf to have any chance of winning the FedEx Cup.