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THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

May 13, 2018

Justin Thomas

Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida

Q. Congratulations you're No. 1. Maybe. We don't know. But what would it mean to you to be No. 1 after this round? It looks like it's a distinct possibility.
JUSTIN THOMAS: It would be awesome. But I mean, D.J. has a very gettable back nine and very benign conditions out there. I mean, you'll never see TPC Sawgrass play easier than it is this week, just with how soft it is and how pure everything is around the greens. So if he wants to make a bunch of pars coming in, that's fine, but I'm not -- I probably won't look at it a whole lot. It's obviously not as intensive a tournament, but three and a half weeks on the road, I just can't wait to get home.

Q. What does that number mean to you, No. 1?
JUSTIN THOMAS: It means a lot, but it's something I want to have for a long time, it's not something I just want to have once. To have it for a week and then be done with -- like D.J. has and like Tiger did and other guys who have had it for a long time, that's more of a goal of mine as opposed to just having it.

Q. Obviously we saw last year that you're more than capable of going on huge stretches, so do you back yourself once you get there to stay there?
JUSTIN THOMAS: At No. 1? Well, I need to get there first. It's kind of hard to say anything because I've never been there and I'm not there, so we'll see.

Q. Was it something that was at all in the back of your mind over this week or were you thinking --
JUSTIN THOMAS: Not really. I just was more concerned with the fact that I was tied for 68th starting my third round, and it's just been -- usually a 5-, 6-under out here just moves so much or so far up and gains so much ground, but -- it still gains a lot of ground, but like I said, it's just a different TPC Sawgrass. I think I was 6- or 7-under, maybe 7-under for three days my rookie year and I was in the second-to-last group and if you're at 7-under going into the final round, here you have no chance. It's just kind of one of those years, but it is what it is.

Q. We talked a few weeks ago about making your bad golf get better. In your short career you have a history of being around 40th and 50th and not really doing much. Is that kind of an example maybe this week, even today? I don't know where you started today.
JUSTIN THOMAS: Started at 5, yeah. I was 33rd.

Q. So to go this way instead of just --
JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah, for sure. I love this golf course. I always have; I've always said that. There's something about it. It's so exciting to go play because I truly feel like you can shoot 9-, 10-, 11-under, you really can, just because of the length of the golf course and if you're driving it well and how good the greens are. So I wasn't going in today thinking like, okay, I post a 60 and see what happens type thing, but I was like, you know, let's go out there, try to have a good day, maybe sneak in a top-10. It doesn't look like I'm going to quite get there. It would be nice if I did, but again, it's nice having my bad weeks be 10ths and 15ths and 20ths as opposed to 50th.

Q. Where did you finish last week?
JUSTIN THOMAS: I don't know.

Q. 21st maybe? 20th? Did you beat Kapalua?
JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah, I don't know. I don't know. I think it was around 20th. Yeah. You can use the internet.

Q. When you made that list last year, was No. 1 on the list?
JUSTIN THOMAS: I don't know. I haven't told you my other ones, what makes you think I would tell you that one?

Q. You showed us last year.
JUSTIN THOMAS: I'll show you at the end of the year. You saw the ones last year.

Q. Where does something like this rate, I guess in terms of goals?
JUSTIN THOMAS: It's important, but like I said, it's not something where it's like I just want to do it once. I want to do it for a really, really long time. I want to have it for a really long time because that means I'm playing better than everybody else for an extended period of time as opposed to, yeah, obviously I -- if it were to happen, I would feel deserving for how I played, but at the same time, get hot for a year, couple years or two years or something, have it and then fall off the map, that doesn't really mean a whole lot to me. I would much rather continue to play well for another eight to ten years, five to ten years and see how long I can have it. But like I said, I need to get it first.

Q. What other No. 1s have you had? You were No. 1 in the FedExCup. Were you No. 1 junior, No. 1 amateur?
JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah, I won Player of the Year my freshman year at college. I never got to No. 1 amateur, I don't think. Probably was a junior at some point, but I think that's about it.

Q. You don't remember?
JUSTIN THOMAS: No. It was a long time ago.

Q. Did you ever get any trophies for being No. 1 in anything outside of the FedExCup?
JUSTIN THOMAS: I mean, the Player of the Year I got one.

Q. That doesn't count either.
JUSTIN THOMAS: That doesn't count? Then no.

Q. Did you get any trophy from Alabama for being No. 1 college player? Nothing?
JUSTIN THOMAS: No, I mean, yeah, not for Alabama, no. But the whole schools, yeah.

Q. If you do get there this afternoon, is it at all more meaningful to have done so off a strong weekend performance versus missing the cut and have the divisor number bounce your way?
JUSTIN THOMAS: I don't care how I get it if I get it, but I would much rather shoot 10-under on the weekend and earn it as opposed to missing the cut and have D.J. not play well. D.J.'s a hell of a player. It's not like -- it's definitely no fluke by any means. I mean, he's played -- he's just so consistent, he just never misses cuts. He's such a, he's always kind of -- if he's not playing well, he's kind of like me this week, he's hanging around, he'll back-door a top-10 or just play his way into a good finish and that's why he's been No. 1 in the world for a year now.

Q. What's your plan now? Do you book it home and book a table at The Woods just in case?
JUSTIN THOMAS: No, no. I'm going home, I haven't been home in three and a half weeks, so my mom and dad are going to come home with me and just go hang out and probably shoot a lot of pool.

Q. What did you get mom for Mother's Day?
JUSTIN THOMAS: Oh, it doesn't matter. It's personal.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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