Story Time
Before Sunday’s playoff, Justin Thomas told his caddie a heck of a story about the only other time he played with Andrew Novak
Jared C. Tilton
After nearly three years lost in the pool-noodle forest, Justin Thomas has finally found his way to the other side. On Sunday, the two-time Wanamaker winner defeated Andrew Novak in a playoff at the RBC Heritage to claim his first PGA Tour title since the 2022 PGA Championship at Southern Hills.
Thomas knew it wasn’t going to come easy, however. Asked by his new caddie Joe Grenier if Thomas had ever played with Novak before Sunday’s playoff, JT recalled a practice round from the Travelers Championship a few years prior when he witnessed Novak pull off one of golf’s rarest feats. Gather around the campfire, folks. It's story time.
Talk about a mind ****. For two years, 10 months and 29 days, Thomas battled to make it back to the winner’s circle. Then on Sunday, at the very last hurdle, Thomas found himself face to face with a guy who fired a 59 the only other time they played together. We guess the golf gods really do give their toughest tests to their strongest warriors.
Perhaps that knowledge helped Thomas, though. Thanks to his prior experience, he didn’t take Novak’s game for granted, draining a 21-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole to take home the checkered jacket and reassert himself as a capital-C “Contendah” on the PGA Tour. Mission, at long last, accomplished.