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THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

May 9, 2015

Justin Thomas

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA

Q. When you were in the WEB.COM TOUR Championship last year and you knew you were going to get your card because you won the playoff event, how long do you think you would ever hear words similar to, "Justin Thomas leading THE PLAYERS Championship or leading the U.S. Open?" Were you on a timetable that you thought it was going to lead to you this point sooner than later?
JUSTIN THOMAS: Not really. I was just trying to play my game and first and foremost just kind of get my feet under me the first couple events. But, yeah, I just felt like if I just kind of got myself ready and was putting in the work, then you never know when it could happen.

Q. Is there any grinding to make the cut yesterday?
JUSTIN THOMAS: Yes, there was a lot of grinding. I was two off the number on the back nine and felt like I was playing well and I just wasn't, nothing was really happening. I just tried to stay patient and hit some good shots. And those birdies on 11 and 12 were big, just because they're not very tough holes and there's a lots of other tough holes, so you kind of need to take advantage of the chances you have. So, I'm definitely glad I shot 3-under on that back nine yesterday.

Q. (Inaudible)
JUSTIN THOMAS: It did a lot. I've been struggling on Saturdays so far this year and maybe the key is to play a little poorly the first two days, I don't know what it is, but, yeah, it was big. It was one of the best rounds I've probably ever played in competition. To do it at a stage like this and a field and a golf course like this, to get back in the tournament was big.

Q. What about the birdie record?
JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah, that was cool. I had no idea. Any time you can get a record, it's nice. I didn't even really realize I made 10 birdies until I got done and I was like, well, I made three bogeys today. And I'm like, dang, I made 10 birdies. That's nice. So that was pretty cool to have.

Q. Your longest birdie putt you had was on 1. About 13 feet here. You were not grinding over a lot of long ones. Does that mean you guys were getting good numbers all day?
JUSTIN THOMAS: I was. You just have days where you're between clubs and the wind is just tough. I felt like the last couple weeks and in tournaments I've just kind of been a lot of tweeners and it's been tough to attack when you're trying to manipulate a little bit. And I had some numbers today where they were good and I could attack and I just kept putting it in good spots. And I was very comfortable on the greens. So, it was nice to kind of get some numbers I could attack with.

Q. What did you have in on 18?
JUSTIN THOMAS: 7-iron.

Q. Is there a reason for the Saturday struggles do you think?
JUSTIN THOMAS: I don't know. I was fortunate where I played well on Thursday and Friday where I was later, so I'm sure a little bit of it was nerves. And I felt like I had gotten over it a little bit, but still it was, I think the hardest part for me was the fact that not every course is tough like this, so, say, one like -- trying to think of one -- well, not Humana, it's one where I teed off late and a lot of other guys had already played and I had been passed up by so many people I felt like I had to make a lot of birdies. That, for some reason that was really tough for me. I knew they were out there, but being passed without even starting yet was, I don't know why that was tough, but. So today I figured I would be one of the first couple groups out and nobody would pass me yet.

Q. Do you ever think in terms of, you see the media coverage and Rory and Justin, Patrick Reed and everything, do you ever think in terms of why aren't they mentioning me a whole lot?
JUSTIN THOMAS: Well, I haven't done the things that they have done, so I guess I don't really deserve to get talked about yet. But that's the goal, to keep working so that I can be in the same context as those guys.

Q. How old were you when you first beat your dad, do you remember?
JUSTIN THOMAS: No. It's terrible that I don't know that, but I don't know. He doesn't know either, I don't think.

Q. He said recently. (Laughter.) I'll take the over on recently. How would you evaluate your season so far?
JUSTIN THOMAS: It's been solid. That's about all would I say, I guess.

Q. This year when you have missed a cut you've come off of that and played pretty well a couple of times. You played well in New Orleans, played well in Hilton Head and everything. So have you been trending to this point or when you miss a cut did you get ticked off and work even harder?
JUSTIN THOMAS: I definitely get mad. I think it's anybody's competitive nature is to get angry after a bad week. But I think, honestly, it's more so the weeks like Hilton Head or New Orleans, I think, that motivate me more, because I had good chances to win those tournaments and I was right there. Saturday struggles at those events kept me out of it a little bit. So I think that being up there and not quite getting it done or not being really in it the last couple holes was more motivating to me.

Q. You knew what day it was in New Orleans, right?
JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah, that's for sure.
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