Justin Thomas's Success and Achievements in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: May 14, 2026

A success timeline featuring the most significant achievements of Justin Thomas.

Justin Thomas is a highly accomplished American professional golfer currently playing on the PGA Tour. He reached world number one status and had a breakout year in 2017, winning five PGA Tour events and the FedEx Cup. His major championship victories include the PGA Championship in both 2017 and 2022, solidifying his position as one of the top players in the sport.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1960: Comparison to Golfing Legends

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

August 2009: Wyndham Championship Appearance

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

2012: Haskins and Jack Nicklaus Awards

As a freshman in 2012, while playing college golf at the University of Alabama, Thomas won the Haskins Award and the Jack Nicklaus Award as the most outstanding collegiate golfer.

2013: National Championship Team

In 2013, Thomas was a member of the national championship team while playing college golf at the University of Alabama.

2014: First Professional Win

In 2014, Thomas secured his first professional event win at the Nationwide Children's Hospital Championship. He also finished fifth in the Web.com Tour regular season and third after the Web.com Tour Finals.

November 1, 2015: First PGA Tour Victory

On November 1, 2015, Thomas achieved his first PGA Tour victory 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.

October 2016: CIMB Classic Title Defense

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

January 2017: SBS Tournament of Champions and Sony Open Win

In January 2017, Thomas won the SBS Tournament of Champions, securing his third PGA Tour win. The following week at the Sony Open in Hawaii, Thomas became the seventh player in PGA Tour history to shoot a 59, also becoming the youngest to do so. He won the tournament by 7 strokes, setting multiple tournament and PGA Tour records.

August 2017: PGA Championship Win

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

September 24, 2017: FedEx Cup Champion

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

October 2017: CJ Cup Victory

In October 2017, Thomas won the CJ Cup in South Korea, defeating Marc Leishman in a playoff. This marked his seventh PGA Tour victory.

2017: U.S. Open Record

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

February 2018: The Honda Classic Victory

In February 2018, Thomas secured his eighth tour win at The Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, defeating Luke List in a playoff. This victory elevated Thomas to the top of the FedEx Cup standings and number three in the world rankings.

May 2018: World Number One

In May 2018, Thomas achieved the rank of world number one in the Official World Golf Ranking, becoming the 21st player to do so.

2018: Ascension to World Number One

In 2018, following the Players Championship, Thomas achieved the world number one ranking. However, he lost the ranking after four weeks when Johnson won the FedEx St. Jude Classic.

August 18, 2019: BMW Championship Victory

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

October 20, 2019: Second CJ Cup Win

On October 20, 2019, Thomas won the CJ Cup in South Korea, marking his second victory at the tournament in its three-year existence.

January 5, 2020: Sentry Tournament of Champions Victory

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

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

On August 2, 2020, Thomas won the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational at TPC Southwind in Tennessee, marking his 13th career victory on the PGA Tour. Thomas also rose to Number One in the Official World Golf Ranking for the second time in his career.

March 2021: Players Championship Victory

In March 2021, Thomas won the 2021 Players Championship by one stroke over Lee Westwood, shooting a final round four-under par 68.

September 2021: Ryder Cup Win

In September 2021, Thomas played on the U.S. team in the 2021 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin. The U.S. team won 19–9 and Thomas went 2–1–1 and won his Sunday singles match against Tyrrell Hatton.

May 22, 2022: Second PGA Championship Win

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

2022: PGA Championship Victory

In 2022, Thomas won his second major golf championship, securing the PGA Championship.

2022: Last Win before RBC Heritage

In April 2025, Thomas won the RBC Heritage, which was his first win since the 2022 PGA Championship.

November 2023: Netflix Cup Win

In November 2023, Thomas competed in the inaugural Netflix Cup, a live sports broadcast on Netflix. Thomas and Formula 1 driver Carlos Sainz Jr. won the event after Thomas won the "Closest to the Pin" style playoff.