Having returned from his recovery after surgery just over a month ago, not many had high expectations for Justin Thomas at Augusta National. He was still showing glimpses of good form at The PLAYERS Championship. A T41 finish in the 2026 Masters Tournament brought him back to square one. But Thomas is still quite optimistic about the future.
The two-time major winner tweeted, “Masters week never disappoints. The course played incredibly! A lot of good in my game but not quite sharp enough to get into contention. Few days to reset and fine tune before trying to win another plaid jacket @RBC_Heritage!”
Thomas only scored under par once in the four rounds of the tournament. He managed a 1-under 71 on Saturday. But he still didn’t make many errors. Across 72 holes, the 32-year-old only had 12 bogeys and a double bogey. That’s four more bogeys and one less double bogey than the champion, Rory McIlroy.
However, the difference between Thomas and the Irishman’s performance was that the former didn’t have as many birdies on the board. And that’s why he couldn’t secure a great finish at Augusta National.
But Thomas remains optimistic about his chances in the 2026 RBC Heritage. It was at Harbour Town Golf Links a year ago when he broke his winless streak and claimed the plaid jacket. He would be eager to try to retain it. If he does, then he would be the first since Boo Weekley in 2007, 2008, and the fourth overall to defend the $20 million PGA Tour Signature event.
Masters week never disappoints. The course played incredibly! A lot of good in my game but not quite sharp enough to get into contention.
Few days to reset and fine tune before trying to win another plaid jacket @RBC_Heritage!
— Justin Thomas (@JustinThomas34) April 13, 2026
That said, let’s look at how he won the 2025 RBC Heritage to understand what he might need to do to repeat the feat.
Justin Thomas’ 2025 RBC Heritage performance review
Last year, Justin Thomas performed as well at the PGA National Champion Course as Rory McIlroy did in the 2026 Masters Tournament. He scored 23 birdies and only 5 bogeys across the four rounds of the event.
Two things played to Thomas’ benefit in the 2025 RBC Heritage. He found the greens in regulation quite frequently, at 70.83%. That was the fifth best on the field that week. And then, when he was on the green, he only needed 1.59 putts to complete the hole. That’s what helped him make so many birdies in 72 holes.
But what was most impressive about his performance was that he tied the lowest score on the course as well. In the first round, Thomas shot a 10-under 61 to take an emphatic lead in the tournament. The 32-year-old also tied the course record with that score. He only had to keep the mistakes to a minimum and continue performing well in the remaining rounds.
That’s exactly what he did. He didn’t commit many bogeys and also had a flawless Championship Sunday. That was enough for him to tie with Andrew Novak after 72 holes. And just one playoff hole later, Thomas was wearing the plaid jacket.
Going into the event in 2026, he should focus on the same goals. Breaking the course record might not be one of them, but he should avoid making too many mistakes. That will certainly help him in his efforts to retain the RBC Heritage title.
