"You don't feel that awful" PGA Tour pros react to booting JT out the Playoffs
PGA Tour pro Ben Griffin says he feels "awful" for sending Justin Thomas packing from the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
PGA Tour pro Ben Griffin has taken to Twitter to reveal he feels "awful" after making it on the number for the FedEx Cup Playoffs this week, and with it end Justin Thomas' season.
Griffin may have missed the cut at the Wyndham Championship last week, the final regular event of the season, but he sneaked into the Playoffs on the number in 70th place as a result of Thomas failing to pick up a four-way T9 or two-way T10 as was required for the two-time US PGA champion.
Thomas clattered the pin with his birdie-chip on 18, which would have moved him into a T7, but it was not to be and that just about summed up JT's season.
It marked the first time Thomas has missed the FedEx Cup Playoffs since he burst on the scene, and the first time he has failed to reach the season-finale Tour Championship at East Lake since his rookie season in 2015.
Griffin was made to sweat all weekend but he was eventually safe once PGA Tour pro Michael Kim birdied the 18th to edge Thomas back to T12.
The PGA Tour rookie took to Twitter to show remorse for Thomas, but also thank the flagstick for sending him through to this week's first leg of the Playoffs at the FedEx St Jude Championship.
Griffin tweeted:
Kim then replied:
Griffin responded:
Thomas was the biggest name to miss out in advancing to the Playoffs.
The former World No.1 and 2017 FedEx Cup champion missed 11 cuts this year from 27 events, posting just four top-10 finishes.
With it, JT has potentially cost himself a place in the US Ryder Cup team.
Some golf analysts still think he will make it, but here at GolfMagic, we believe captain Zach Johnson must take LIV Golf's Bryson DeChambeau instead following his incredible 61-58 finish en route to landing his first title on the circuit at Greenbrier.
Thomas' biggest issues have seemingly come on the greens this season, ranking 147th in strokes-gained putting, which is well down the board.
Earlier in the week, Thomas raised a few eyebrows when he said he would rather make the US Ryder Cup team than advance in the Playoffs.
"It's the truth," said JT.
In years past Thomas would have comfortably advanced to the postseason as 125 players have traditionally advanced to the first leg, starting at the FedEx St. Jude Championship this week in Memphis.
But LIV Golf arrived on the scene in 2022, forcing some big changes to the structure of the North American circuit.
One of those changes has seen a revamp to the playoff structure. From now on, the top 70 advance to the Playoffs.
Lucas Glover, who claimed victory at the Wyndham Championship, is one of the players who will be teeing it up at TPC Southwind this week, but he is one of many who aren't happy about the change.
