Justin Thomas makes Rory McIlroy comparison as he opens up on PGA Tour win
For Justin Thomas, the overwhelming feeling after winning the RBC Heritage on Sunday was relief.
That win was his first on the PGA Tour for three years, a drought that had seen him fail to get the job done since the 2022 PGA Championship.
A week on from seeing Rory McIlroy end his own infamous drought, Thomas has shared his feelings on the win and believes there are some parallels between what Rory and himself were going through.
Reflecting on the weight lifted by his latest achievement, Thomas likened his feelings to those McIlroy surely experienced 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 favourite. 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
Irish Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Paul McGinley alarmed by Rory McIlroy's 'not normal' behaviour ahead of US Open
Paul McGinley has concerns about Rory McIlroy's behaviour ahead of the US Open, saying: "This is not normal Rory." Having completed an 11-year mission to complete the Grand Slam of major titles by finally winning the Masters in April, the world No. 2's form has dipped alarmingly. He endured a troubled PGA Championship, tying for 47th after only just making the cut after his driver was deemed non-conforming. He then missed the cut at the Canadian Open last week before shooting an 81 during a practice round at Oakmont, the venue for the US Open. Speaking ahead of the season's third major, the Holywood star admitted he had struggled for motivation since his historic Masters triumph. Meanwhile, his subdued manner has left McGinley worried. The former European Ryder Cup captain told Sky Sports: "You'd have to say it was very worrying looking at his press conference there. His eyes weren't alive. The energy was not there. "He certainly didn't have the pointy elbows the way we saw coming into the Masters. [At the Masters] he was a man on a mission, he was a man on a bounce, he was a man out to prove something. 'Get out of my way, here I come.' You could see that and feel the energy. "You don't see it at the moment. I know from my own experience, when you win tournaments, you check out. You don't feel the same. You want to be there, and you put in the energy, but something inside you is just missing. "It takes some time for that to reset, and I think he's going through a period of that. He's completed a Grand Slam – it's a huge achievement. "I'm no psychologist but it looks like the air has been sucked out of him a little since that, not just in the way he's played but in his press conferences. It's very un-Rory-like to have such low energy. This is not normal Rory. "This is not when he's at his best. In my opinion, I think he's at his best when he's p***ed off or following off a big loss or something that went wrong." As he geared up for the US Open at the daunting Oakmont course, McIlroy acknowledged the need to refocus. When questioned about the difficulty of regaining his drive, he admitted: "I think I've always been a player who struggles to play after a big event, after I win whatever tournament. "I always struggle to show up with motivation the next week because you've just accomplished something and you want to enjoy it and you want to sort of relish the fact that you've achieved a goal. "I think chasing a certain goal for the better part of a decade and a half, I think I'm allowed a little bit of time to relax a little bit. I think it's trying to have a little bit of amnesia and forget about what happened six weeks ago. "Then just trying to find the motivation to go back out there and work as hard as I've been working. But at the same time, you have to enjoy what you've just accomplished. I certainly feel like I'm still doing that and I will continue to do that."
The Irish Sun
3 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Rory McIlroy offers withering verdict on ‘nearly impossible' test presented by Oakmont at US Open
RORY McILROY is leaving no stone unturned in his bid to overcome 'impossible' Oakmont and prosper at the US Open. McIlroy is looking to shake off a hangover from But it will not be easy at the unforgiving Oakmont Country Club in Pittsburgh, characterised by notoriously thick rough, especially as the 36-year-old is battling driver issues. He missed the cut when the US Open was last played here in 2016 and McIlroy joked: 'I'm glad we have spotters up there because I played last Monday and you hit a ball off the fairway and you were looking for a good couple of minutes just to find it. 'It's very penal if you miss. Sometimes it's penal if you don't miss. Read More On Irish Sport 'But the person with the most patience and the best attitude this week is the one that's going to win. 'There's definitely been a little bit of rain since I played. Last Monday felt impossible. "I birdied the last two holes for 81. It felt pretty good. 'It didn't feel like I played that bad. It's much more benign right now than it was that Monday. Most read in Golf 'They had the pins in dicey locations, and greens were running fast. It was nearly impossible. 'If you put it in the fairway, it's certainly playable. 'Looks like a skirt!' – Jason Day leaves US Open viewers in shock with outfit choice during practice round 'But then you just have to think about leaving your ball below the hole and just trying to make as many pars as you can. 'You get yourself in the way of a few birdies, that's a bonus.' The club's own website labels it 'The Ultimate Examination of Championship Golf'. But it is fair to say other descriptions of Oakmont have not been so flattering. 1 McIlroy's form has fallen off a cliff since winning the Masters in April Credit: Getty Bryson DeChambeau — who pipped McIlroy to US Open glory last year — called it the 'toughest golf course in the world right now'. He said: 'You have to hit the fairways and you have to hit the greens. You have to two-putt in the worst-case scenario. 'When you've got those putts inside ten feet, you've got to make them. "It's a great test of golf. I think everyone knows it's the toughest golf course in the world right now.'
The Irish Sun
4 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Rory McIlroy sparks concerns with ‘very worrying' US Open behaviour as Sky Sports pundit says ‘his eyes weren't alive'
RORY MCILROY has sparked concerns ahead of the US Open. The reigning Masters champion has not won a tournament since his Advertisement 4 Rory McIlroy is set to compete in the US Open Credit: Getty With the US Open set to get underway later today, McIlroy has given a press conference. The Northern Irishman's body language during the presser concerned Sky Sports' former Ryder Cup captain analyst Paul McGinley. Discussing McIlroy's chances at Oakmont, the Irishman, 58, said: "You'd have to say it was very worrying looking at his press conference there. His eyes weren't alive. The energy was not there. Advertisement READ MORE IN SPORT "He certainly didn't have the pointy elbows the way we saw coming into the Masters. He was a man on a mission, he was a man on a bounce, he was a man out to prove something. 'Get out of my way, here I come.' You could see that and feel the energy. "You don't see it at the moment. I know from my own experience, when you win tournaments, you check out. You don't feel the same. "You want to be there, and you put in the energy, but something inside you is just missing. "It takes some time for that to reset, and I think he's going through a period of that. He's completed a Grand Slam – it's a huge achievement. Advertisement Most read in Golf BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK 4 McIlroy, 36, gave a press conference ahead of the US Open Credit: Getty 4 Paul McGinley has raised concerns over McIlroy Credit: Getty "I'm no psychologist but it looks like the air has been sucked out of him a little since that, not just in the way he's played but in his press conferences. Advertisement "It's very un-Rory-like to have such low energy. This is not normal Rory. Jack Nicklaus stunned as Rory McIlroy ghosts Memorial Tournament host and golf legend ahead of PGA Tour Signature event "This is not when he's at his best. In my opinion, I think he's at his best when he's p***ed off or following off a big loss or something that went wrong." During the presser, McIlroy did claim to be feeling good. The Masters champion said: "I feel like, as the last few weeks ago, I think I learnt a lot on Thursday and Friday last week. Advertisement "Did a good bit of practice at home and feel like I'm in a better place with everything going into this week." Mcilroy then went on to reflect: "I think it's trying to have a little bit of amnesia and forget about what happened six weeks ago, then just trying to find the motivation to go back out there and work as hard as I've been working. "I worked incredibly hard on my game from October last year all the way up until April this year. "It was nice to sort of see the fruits of my labour come to fruition and have everything happen. But at the same time, you have to enjoy what you've just accomplished. Advertisement "I certainly feel like I'm still doing that and I will continue to do that but, at some point, you have to realise that there's a little bit more golf left to play this season. "There's here, Royal Portrush, Ryder Cup…those are obviously the three big things that I'm looking at for the rest of the year. "I think weeks like Quail Hollow or even weeks like last week, it makes it easier to reset in some way, to be like, 'okay, I sort of need to get my stuff together here and get back to the process'." 4 Advertisement
