Justin Thomas keeps FedExCup Playoffs chances alive with first-round 70 at Wyndham Championship

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- This week, two-time major winner Justin Thomas takes on the Wyndham Championship with a very specific drive: To earn a tee time at the first event of the FedExCup Playoffs next week. And on a wet and grey Round 1 at Sedgefield Country Club, he kept his Playoffs aspirations afloat.

"I'm not very far away at all from the lead and from where I need to be,” said Thomas who fired an even-par 70 on Thursday. “It was a little frustrating, having a hard time, you know, getting things going, and I felt like I had a couple chances there on my front nine, but especially my back nine there, to shoot 2- or 3-under par today, but even par's not gonna kill me, as long as it doesn't get too nice out here.”

As for the drizzly conditions, Thomas admitted the rain made for a “tough go” at Sedgefield, where a 16-year-old Thomas made his PGA TOUR debut at the 2009 Wyndham Championship. His fierce play was rewarded with his first-ever made cut on TOUR. The 15-time TOUR winner noted earlier this week that his appearance as a teenager here"somehow took my want and drive and determination even higher." And he’s looking to harness the spirit from that memory this week but says battling the elements takes its toll.

“We joke, you know you always think two arms and hands is enough until it's raining and you're playing golf and you’re caddying,” he added. “If you could have another arm or two, it'd be great because you're trying to look at yardage books, umbrellas, a glove, a bag, a pinsheet, whatever it is. It's definitely a team effort out there.”

In his PGA TOUR career, he has never missed the Playoffs, but currently at No. 79 in the standings with only the top 70 qualifying, his record is in jeopardy due to his rocky season.

Thomas started the day with five straight pars before birdieing the par-5 15th, his sixth hole of the day, with an up-and-down from 39 yards.

His first of two bogeys came at the par-4 18th hole after missing the green on the slope to the left. His chip up to the hole came back down the hill, and he two-putted for a front-nine 35.

Thomas made just one putt outside of 7 feet – on the par-4 first – after hitting his approach to 22 feet and curling in the putt. However, he bogeyed the subsequent hole with a missed tee shot in the right rough, an approach that came up well-short of the green and a missed 16-footer for par.

He went on to par the last seven holes for a back-nine 35.

Thomas hit seven of 14 fairways and 13 out of 18 greens in regulation, taking 31 total putts. The counter-balanced Scotty Cameron putter he debuted at the 3M Open before missing the cut by two strokes was conspicuously absent.

"Yeah, I just went back to the old faithful,” he explained. “I putted with it on Saturday last week after I missed the cut at the 3M for probably an hour, maybe more. For a week like this, I want to have the putter in my hands that I've made the most putts and successful putts with."

Thomas entered the Wyndham Championship in particularly poor form, with three missed cuts in his last four starts and six missed cuts in 19 starts this season.

Thomas currently sits tied for 58th at the Wyndham with much of the field yet to finish. To make the top 70, Thomas needs a minimum solo-18th finish but more likely a three-way tie for fourth.