Career Timeline of Justin Thomas: Major Achievements and Milestones

Discover the career path of Justin Thomas, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Justin Thomas is a highly accomplished American professional golfer who has achieved the world number one ranking. His career highlights include multiple PGA Tour victories, highlighted by a dominant 2017 season where he secured five wins and the prestigious FedEx Cup. He has also demonstrated his skill and composure in major championships, winning the PGA Championship in both 2017 and 2022. Thomas consistently ranks among the top players in the world.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1960: Comparison to Golf Legends

At the Dell Technologies Championship, Justin Thomas became just the fourth golfer to win five times, including a major, in a PGA Tour season since 1960 before his 25th birthday, joining Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, and Jordan Spieth.

August 2009: Wyndham Championship Cut

In August 2009, prior to his junior year in high school, Justin Thomas played in the Wyndham Championship on the PGA Tour and became the third-youngest to make the cut in a PGA Tour event, at 16 years, 3 months and 24 days.

2013: Turned Professional

In 2013, Justin Thomas turned professional and earned his tour card on the Web.com Tour through qualifying school.

2014: Nationwide Children's Hospital Championship Win

In 2014, Justin Thomas won his first professional event at the Nationwide Children's Hospital Championship.

November 1, 2015: First PGA Tour Victory at CIMB Classic

On November 1, 2015, Justin Thomas earned his first victory on the PGA Tour by winning the CIMB Classic in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, by a single stroke over Adam Scott. He shot a course-record 61 during the second round.

2015: First PGA Tour Season

In 2015, Justin Thomas collected seven top-10s and 15 top-25s, with fourth-place finishes at the Quicken Loans National and Sanderson Farms Championship. He finished 32nd at the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup and lost the Rookie of the Year award to Daniel Berger.

October 2016: CIMB Classic Title Defense

In October 2016, Justin Thomas successfully defended his title at the CIMB Classic for his second tour win.

January 2017: SBS Tournament of Champions and Sony Open Win

In January 2017, Justin Thomas won the SBS Tournament of Champions for his third PGA Tour win. The following week at the Sony Open in Hawaii, he became the seventh player in PGA Tour history to shoot a 59 and set tournament records for 18, 36, 54, and 72 holes.

August 2017: First Major Win at PGA Championship

In August 2017, Justin Thomas won his first major, the 2017 PGA Championship, winning by two shots.

September 24, 2017: FedEx Cup Champion

On September 24, 2017, Justin Thomas became the FedEx Cup champion after finishing runner-up to Xander Schauffele at the Tour Championship.

October 2017: CJ Cup Win in South Korea

In October 2017, Justin Thomas won the third event of the 2017–18 season, the CJ Cup in South Korea, defeating Marc Leishman in a playoff. This was Thomas' seventh win on the PGA Tour.

2017: U.S. Open Record and Finish

During the third round of the 2017 U.S. Open at Erin Hills, Justin Thomas equalled the U.S. Open single-round record of 63. He finished in a tie for ninth place.

2017: Breakout Year and FedEx Cup win

In 2017, Justin Thomas had a breakout year, winning five PGA Tour events and the FedEx Cup championship.

February 2018: Honda Classic Victory

In February 2018, Justin Thomas won The Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, marking his eighth tour win. He defeated Luke List in a playoff, lifting him to the top of the FedEx Cup standings and number three in world rankings.

May 2018: World Number One Ranking

In May 2018, Justin Thomas became the 21st player to top the Official World Golf Ranking.

September 2018: Ryder Cup Participation

In September 2018, Justin Thomas qualified for the U.S. team participating in the 2018 Ryder Cup. Despite the U.S. team losing, Thomas went 4–1–0 and won his singles match against Rory McIlroy.

2018: Briefly Reached World Number One

After the 2018 Players Championship, Justin Thomas replaced Dustin Johnson as the world number one golfer, but lost the ranking after four weeks.

February 17, 2019: Second Place at Genesis Open

On February 17, 2019, Justin Thomas led the Genesis Open entering the final round but finished second to J. B. Holmes after shooting 75 due to gusty conditions. He four-putted for a double bogey.

August 18, 2019: BMW Championship Win

On August 18, 2019, Justin Thomas won the BMW Championship at Medinah Country Club outside of Chicago, shooting 25-under-par. This win put him in the lead in the FedEx Cup standings.

October 20, 2019: CJ Cup Win

On October 20, 2019, Justin Thomas won the CJ Cup in South Korea for the second time in its three-year existence.

December 2019: Presidents Cup Win

In December 2019, Justin Thomas played on the U.S. team at the 2019 Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Australia, where the U.S. team won. Thomas went 3–1–1 and lost his Sunday singles match against Cameron Smith.

January 5, 2020: Sentry Tournament of Champions Win

On January 5, 2020, Justin Thomas won the Sentry Tournament of Champions at Kapalua Resort in Maui, Hawaii, for the second time, winning in a playoff over Xander Schauffele and Patrick Reed.

August 2, 2020: WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational Win

On August 2, 2020, Justin Thomas won the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational at TPC Southwind in Tennessee by three strokes. This was Thomas' 13th career victory on the PGA Tour, taking him to Number One in the Official World Golf Ranking for the second time in his career.

March 2021: Players Championship Win

In March 2021, Justin Thomas shot a final round four-under par 68 to win the 2021 Players Championship by one stroke over Lee Westwood.

September 2021: Ryder Cup Win

In September 2021, Justin Thomas played on the U.S. team in the 2021 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin. The U.S. team won and Thomas went 2–1–1, winning his Sunday singles match against Tyrrell Hatton.

2021: New Caddie

For the 2021–22 season, Justin Thomas hired Jim "Bones" Mackay to replace his previous caddie, Jimmy Johnson. The last round of golf Johnson caddied for Thomas was at the 2021 Ryder Cup. Mackay stepped into the role at the CJ Cup.

May 22, 2022: Second PGA Championship Win

On May 22, 2022, Justin Thomas won his second major and second PGA Championship, defeating Will Zalatoris in a playoff. He overcame a PGA Championship record 7-shot deficit entering the day.

2022: Presidents Cup Participation

In 2022, Justin Thomas qualified for the U.S. team at the Presidents Cup. He won all four matches paired with Jordan Spieth but lost in the singles.

2022: PGA Championship Win

In 2022, Justin Thomas won the PGA Championship, marking his second major golf championship win.

September 2023: Ryder Cup Participation

In September 2023, Justin Thomas played on the U.S. team in the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome, Italy. The European team won and Thomas went 1–2–1, including a win in his Sunday singles match against Sepp Straka.

November 2023: Netflix Cup Win

In November 2023, Justin Thomas competed in the inaugural Netflix Cup, streamed as Netflix's first live sports broadcast. Thomas and Formula 1 driver Carlos Sainz Jr. won the event after Thomas won the "Closest to the Pin" style playoff.