Justin Thomas' reality at East Lake: With one Cup out of reach, another is there for the taking

ATLANTA — Justin Thomas is a long shot this week at the Tour Championship. This cuts two ways for the two-time PGA Championship winner.

The last man into the 30-player field at East Lake Golf Club, Thomas is staring at an immediate 10-stroke deficit to Scottie Scheffler, the FedEx Cup points leader, in the season finale that employs a staggered-start format.

A leap over Scheffler and the other 28 men in the field is highly unlikely, but them’s the rules, as they say, and Thomas is just happy to qualify for the riches that will be disseminated at the end of the week, with $25 million going to the winner.

But beyond a better payday, Thomas has another reason to play hard this week. Jim Furyk will make his captain’s selections to fill out his U.S. Presidents Cup team on Tuesday, and Thomas has one more chance tomake his case for being included on the 12-man squad that will take on the International team next month at Royal Montreal.

Not that the 15-time PGA Tour winner feels any extra pressure. Asked if he was auditioning for a spot, Thomas demurred. “A little bit. I guess I would answer that, I don't feel like I am for me, but if I was him, I would say I am, if that makes sense,” Thomas said with a shrug. “With how many people have an opportunity, I think it would be … he's definitely looking at guys that are potential picks and how they're playing.”

Thomas, 31, has had a consistent year—thus his appearance at East Lake—with five top-10 finishes, including T-8 in the PGA, and eight top-25s. But he has gone two seasons without a win, and his best finish was a T-3 in January at The American Express. He is ranked 33rd in the world, and at this point he is 19th in the U.S. Presidents Cup points standings.

Still, several players ranked ahead of him are at home this week.

“I am here, and I know that some guys aren't,” Thomas said. “But then again, I was in that spot last year where there were guys that were trying to get picked, and I wasn't even in the playoffs. I think I talked about it maybe last week or Memphis. I'm definitely more at ease now than I was last year about getting picked, and it's not from a lack of wanting to be on the team or feel like it's not as important. Just my priorities are in a better place, that if I play the golf that I know I should it'll take care of itself.

“Yeah, I obviously really, really want to be on that team, and I know there's a lot of people that have a chance. It would be nice to play well for a lot of reasons this week, but that would definitely be one.”

Chris Kirk, 13th in the U.S. team standings, is in a similar position, and the thought of playing for a potential Presidents Cup spot “is in the back of my mind.”

Interestingly—and perhaps ironically—one player in the field might hold some sway in the prospects of his fellow competitors.

That would be Keegan Bradley, who is 10th in the points standings after his victory last week at the BMW Championship in Colorado. Bradley, 11th in the world, is hoping for his own captain’s pick. But he’s in a unique position as one of Furyk’s assistants, a position bestowed upon him after he was named the U.S. Ryder Cup captain for 2025. It’s an odd place to be, frankly. And, yes, Bradley, who was left off the 2023 Ryder Cup squad, has been involved in some discussions.

“We've had some quick discussions, but he's largely left me to playing these last couple weeks,” Bradley said of Furyk. “You've always got to remember that these guys were players, too, and Jim is a Hall-of-Fame player, and … he was explaining to me a situation, I forget which Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup it was, he was in a very similar spot that I was. He was a vice captain, but he was still trying to make the team. So he knows what I'm going through.

“I think as it comes to this week, I think with the different format and stuff like that, I think it shouldn't come down to one week that you decide whether a person is going to play a month later,” he added.

An interesting response. But one week still remains. Jim Furyk no doubt has to be watching.