GENESIS SCOTTISH OPEN

July 11, 2024

Justin Thomas

The Renaissance Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Tell us about it from your point of view?

JUSTIN THOMAS: It was nice. It's always good to get off to a good start, and even better to get off to a great one. I felt like I was in great control of everything. Just when I missed it, I missed it in the right spots and had a lot of really quality shots. On those 4-, 5-, 6-footers to kind of make something out of them, I stole a couple with some long or mid-range putts.

Like any golfer, I would have loved to finish those last five holes a little bit better but I played really, really solid today, and that par putt on 17 was huge. I love going bogey-free so it was nice to, I would have had a different taste in my mouth walking off 18.

Q. You putted very solidly today and putting on greens slower than what you normally play on. What adjustment do you make?

JUSTIN THOMAS: It's kind of the adjustment we try to make every week, right. We very, very rarely play the exact same speed from week-to-week. It's the only time where, I would say that being in Florida in the summer when the courses are not exactly the best, just because of the weather and maintenance stuff, they are actually pretty decent speed compared to over here. So it works out well.

I try to really spend the Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday just getting acclimated like all of us to the grass and how the ball rolls. Just try to make as many as you can.

Q. This is the 54th time in the last decade you've made eight birdies or more in a round, more than any other player. What is it about your style of play that allows to you keep going?

JUSTIN THOMAS: I'm confident when I get in that mode. I feel like, obviously this is as easy as you're going to get a links golf course weather-wise and conditions. When you drive it well like I did for the most part today, you have a lot of short clubs, and I see nothing but the pin. You have opportunities to get the ball close with some slopes, but if I have a good number, for the most part I'm trying to figure out how I can hit it as close as possible. I'm not scared to do so.

So I just kind of try to keep the pedal down but it's also something that I definitely had to learn, I feel like.

Q. Wanted to ask you about Keegan Bradley, Ryder Cup Captain. Were you surprised? Now we are hearing maybe he could be a playing captain. Your thoughts on that?

JUSTIN THOMAS: He could definitely be a playing captain. That's kind of the thought with John Wood being our manager; I think he has the opportunity to really take a lot of the day-to-day or a lot of the work, really, off of Keegan if it's needed, or any playing captain, if that's the route that's needed to go in the future.

You know, I just think it's opening up a whole new opportunity and I think no captain is going to know the players and their games than somebody who is playing with us at highest level every single week. I obviously love the pick and I think it's a change of direction for the best.