Justin Thomas has been on a rollercoaster during this year's British Open.
After opening Thursday with a 3-under 68, which put him as the solo leader for part of the day, he was in danger of missing the cut Friday when he shot a 9-over 45 on the front nine. He redeemed himself on the back nine to secure a position in the weekend rounds.
On Saturday, Thomas wowed fans again when he shot a 5 under on the front nine thanks to five birdies. This means the two-time PGA Championship winner shot 14 strokes better on the front nine in the span of a day. Talk about pulling a complete 180.
“I played really well,” Thomas said in his post-round interview. “It's hard to see a 45 on someone's score, a professional golfer at a major and think that he's playing well. It was just kind of a flukey nine holes really, just a couple holes. I knew I could come out this morning and try to shoot low, and it was nice to.”
Justin Thomas recaps his third-round 67 on a day of changing conditions at Royal Troon. 🫡
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) July 20, 2024
📺: NBC & @peacock | #TheOpen pic.twitter.com/kshLjSpc8D
Thomas ended up bogeying twice on the back nine and birdied one more time to shoot 67, good for a tie for 12th at even par as Round 3 continued Saturday. He could possibly have a chance of holding the Claret Jug on Sunday if he repeats what he did during his Saturday round.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Justin Thomas Shoots 14 Strokes Better on Front Nine Saturday at British Open.
