Justin Thomas' comment about Rory McIlroy speaks volumes after RBC Heritage win
Justin Thomas claimed a first PGA Tour victory since 2022 at the RBC Heritage and the American admitted he felt a similar level of relief as Rory McIlroy did after winning the Masters
Justin Thomas has opened up about the immense relief he felt after clinching the RBC Heritage, his first PGA Tour victory in three years, drawing parallels to Rory McIlroy 's long-awaited Masters win. The 31-year-old American golfer secured his first Tour win since 2022 on Sunday by edging out Andrew Novak in a tense one-hole playoff in South Carolina.
Despite bagging a second PGA Championship in 2022, Thomas hadn't managed to capitalise on that triumph until now, finally adding to his trophy cabinet and pocketing a cool £2.7million ($3.6m) prize fund. Speaking of the burden lifted with his latest win, Thomas compared his emotions to those McIlroy must have felt at Augusta.
"It's obviously incredibly different from Rory's situation, but there is a little bit of relief there. This was just the me of old. I was just really patient today," Thomas expressed, according to Jason Sobel of SiriusXM. "It's so hard to force the issue on a course like this. It's so fast and so much fun to play. I'm really proud of myself."
Even faced with the high stakes of a playoff, Thomas confessed he had missed the thrill of victory, yet he aimed to enjoy every moment on the green. "I've never made a putt to win a tournament before, of length," he shared.
"Been fortunate to have a lot of tap-ins but that was pretty cool. It wasn't as fun as much as I thought it would be," reports the Express. "Winning is hard, it's really hard but I've worked my butt off and stayed patient and positive," Thomas proclaimed, reflecting on his triumph.
McIlroy is all set to tee off at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans with partner Shane Lowry to defend their title in his first tournament since winning the Masters.
In what has been a phenomenal beginning to the year, the 35-year-old golf sensation has received a bold prediction from Trevor Heaven, the men's captain at Holywood Golf Club, who believes McIlroy could bag a further five majors.
Rory's fellow Northern Irishman claimed: "I think it's a free run over the next couple of years, and he's so talented that when he turns up to all the golf tournaments, he's always the favorite. But Rory pushes through the 'Rory-coaster.'
"He makes us wait but the excitement, the humbleness of the guy, the professionalism of the guy, the homeboy of Holywood, it's an unbelievable achievement that he's done, and he's now a global superstar."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
22 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Todd Boehly's call from Chelsea star's reps to confirm 'impossible' stance
Chelsea owner Todd Boehly was given a baptism of fire not long after purchasing the club in 2022. And it was thanks to Romelu Lukaku, whose agent wasted no time informing the new chairman his client would in no uncertain terms be leaving the club that summer. American businessman Boehly, 51, fronted the BlueCo consortium's successful £4.25billion take over of Chelsea three summers ago. The sale moved quickly after the previous owner, Roman Abramovich, was instructed by the British government to sell up due to his ties with Russian president Vladimir Putin, who started his invasion against Ukraine earlier that year. What followed was months of uncertainty as one of the most controversial transactions in sporting history was carried out. The period is detailed in a new book, 'Sanctioned: The Inside Story of the Sale of Chelsea FC', which revealed representatives acting on behalf of Lukaku actually helped restore some normality. "It is claimed the first call fielded by Boehly on Chelsea after his consortium had purchased the Premier League club came from the representatives of Romelu Lukaku," read the passage. "It was to inform him that the Belgium striker would not be staying at Stamford Bridge under any circumstances. "Which can feel strange, the conversation suddenly going back to football matters after three months of complete chaos in the aftermath of Abramovich announcing his intention to sell his beloved Blues. "But then, in a nice way, that call to confirm Lukaku's stance represented normality, which is all that Chelsea ever wanted after their very existence as a giant of the English game was threatened." Lukaku got his wish, in a way, as he completed a season-long loan move to Inter Milan barely one week after Boehly was named chairman. The Belgian wouldn't leave on permanent terms until two years later when he joined Napoli for a fee of around £25million. The episode gave Boehly a preview of just how quickly things can move in football. And the fact his takeover was confirmed during a summer transfer window simply expedited the process. Boehly came to west London with considerable experience in leading sports organisations already. He owns a minority share in Major League Baseball outfit the Los Angeles Dodgers and bought a stake in NBA giants the Los Angeles Lakers back in 2021. But neither of those deals were as big as his takeover at Chelsea, nor did they come under such contentious circumstances. The manner in which the Blues was forced to auction brought unwelcome attention, not to mention being an entirely unique kind of business deal. But as author Nick Purewal notes, Lukaku's signal acted as a kind of equaliser following such a period of unrest. A reminder that despite the delirium that preceded Boehly's arrival, it was time to get back to footballing matters. And after initially struggling to see much momentum from the team, Boehly's reign finally appears to be taking flight. A return to the Premier League's top four after two seasons away, as well as the Europa Conference League crown, holds promise for what's to come under the American.
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Crystal Palace receive last minute takeover bid from Donald Trump pal that could rescue Europa League hopes
The would-be Palace buyer held an important role during Trump's first term TRUMP CARD Crystal Palace receive last minute takeover bid from Donald Trump pal that could rescue Europa League hopes Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) NEW YORK JETS owner Woody Johnson has launched a bid to buy John Textor's minority stake in Crystal Palace, according to reports. Textor, 59, has been trying to flog his shares as Uefa threaten to throw Palace out of next season's Europa League. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Woody Johnson has launched a bid for Crystal Palace Credit: Getty The Eagles qualified for the Europa League by virtue of lifting the FA Cup last month. As Textor, who owns a 43 per cent stake in Palace, is also majority owner of French side Lyon, who have also qualified for the Europa League, the Eagles' place in Europe has come under threat. Uefa rules dictate that two teams under the same ownership cannot compete in the same competition. Textor could have placed his shares into a blind trust by March 1 to avoid this issue, but with Palace's FA Cup triumph still appearing to be a long shot at the time, the American businessman did not. Palace chiefs are currently desperately trying to convince Uefa that Textor has no involvement in day-to-day goings on at the club. The Missouri-native has long been thought to be trying to flog his shares. And according to Sky Sports, Jets owner Johnson has made a bid. Johnson, 78, served as US ambassador to the UK during Donald Trump's first administration. Last month it was reported that the New Jersey-native may even try to buy a controlling stake in the Eagles. Long-serving chairman Steve Parish owns around 10 per cent of the South London club, having helped to save them from going bust in 2010. Americans David Blitzer and Josh Harris own 36 per cent, with Textor possessing 43 per cent. Parish and Textor are said to have fallen out in 2023. And last year, the latter attempted to buy Everton, before being beaten by compatriot Dan Friedkin. THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY.. The Sun is your go to destination for the best football, boxing and MMA news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see us on Facebook at and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSunFootball.
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
NBA star in consortium to buy out John Textor and save Crystal Palace
FA Cup winners Crystal Palace's hopes of participating in the Europa League had been in doubt due to shareholder John Textor also owning a majority stake in Ligue 1 side Lyon Six-time NBA All-Star and Olympic gold medallist Jimmy Butler is part of a consortium in talks to buy out John Textor and save Crystal Palace from exclusion from the Europa League. Palace won the FA Cup to appear to book their place in Europe for the first time in their history. Doubts over their participation began to emerge due to Textor's shareholding in the club. Textor owns a 43 percent stake in the Premier League side through his Eagle Football vehicle. But that group also has a majority stake in French side Lyon, putting them potentially at odds with UEFA's rules around multi-club ownership. Those rules restrict teams from multi-club groups playing in the same competition. The deadline set to address any multi-club ownership issues passed on 1 March, the same day Palace beat Millwall in the fifth round of the FA Cup. Lyon meanwhile qualified for the Europa League by finishing sixth in Ligue 1. Due to finishing higher in their league, Lyon have precedence over Palace when it comes to participating in the Europa League. Textor had hoped to be bought out by one of Palace's other investors, but it now looks like he will be selling to an external consortium. According to The Athletic, the group is led by former Morgan Stanley sports executive Bejan Esmaili and former Roc Nation attorney Wajid Mir. It also includes Golden States Warrior star Butler. They are set to make a bid in excess of £150m for the 43 per cent stake Eagle Football currently holds in Palace. Talks with Textor have already been held, though they are facing competition from New York Jets owner Woody Johnson. A former American ambassador to the UK, Johnson has overseen an awful period for the Jets. They have not featured in the NFL's playoffs for 14 years, double the length of any other drought in the league. While Johnson has made an offer for Textor's shares, he is yet to meet his fellow American's valuation. Textor is one of four main shareholders in Palace, alongside Josh Harris, who owns the NFL's Washington Commanders, David Blitzer, who controls the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers, and Palace chairman Steve Parish, who has become the face of the club. While Textor hoped that he would be bought out by those three, no deal has been agreed. They have been approached by Textor but their proposal is said to have fallen short of being accepted. Palace's four shareholders met with UEFA last week to present a case that Textor does not have control or influence at Palace. Any deal for his shares will be subject to Premier League approval. It remains to be seen whether UEFA would be satisfied by a binding agreement for Eagle to sell its stake, or whether any deal can reach that stage before the committee makes its decision. Back in May, Textor opened up on his plans to sell. 'We've reached the point where we have a significant investment in a club we hold in the minority (in Palace),' he said. 'We're having extreme success in Brazil and early on in France, (and) to not have that same level of integration with our partner in the UK… it just becomes more and more clear that that level of collaboration we want and need works.'
