Justin Thomas positioned to end winless streak at ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP

Justin Thomas knows how to win on the PGA TOUR.

He also knows how tough it is to win.

Through three rounds at the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP, though, he’s put himself in a tremendous spot to break a two-year winless drought on the PGA TOUR.

“At the end of the day it has been a while, but I've still won a pretty good amount of golf tournaments. I know how to win,” Thomas said. “It's just a matter of executing and doing it and that's really been the biggest difference.”

Thomas, a 15-time winner on the PGA TOUR who hasn’t won since the 2022 PGA Championship, shot a 5-under 65 at ACCORDIA GOLF Narashino Country Club Saturday. He trails Nico Echavarria by just two shots heading into the finale.

Thomas was tied for the lead at one point Saturday with Echavarria (who set the tournament 54-hole scoring record with a 17-under 193) but couldn’t add any final circles to his scorecard on the back nine – including missing a four-footer for birdie on No. 18.

“It's always a good thing going bogey free, be nice to obviously get another one of those tomorrow,” Thomas said. “I would have obviously loved a couple more there coming in, but I played really, really solid, played really well. You know, I just kind of feel like I did what I needed to do and got it around the course well. It's nice to post a good score with it.”

Thomas, who has four TOUR titles in Asia already to his credit, has five top-10s this season – with two in a row to start his season at The American Express and the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

Thomas and Max Greyserman (who sits at 14-under) are the only golfers within shouting distance of Echavarria through 54 holes. Nate Lashley, Kevin Yu and Rickie Fowler are tied for fourth but six shots back at 11-under.

“I know I have a lot more in the tank and what I can do,” Fowler said. “I'm looking forward to getting out there and hopefully we can get a good one going.”

As the lead of the chasing pack, Thomas said he’s made things “pretty easy” on himself through 54 holes in Japan – despite having not played Narashino Country Club since the inaugural ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP in 2019. There’s been a bit of an adjustment as Thomas is still navigating jet lag, he said.

“Little things like that. If you can make it as easy on yourself as possible, it can kind of add up,” Thomas said. “I'm hoping tomorrow afternoon I'll have a lot of energy there coming down the back nine and hopefully have another great round where we can have a chance come the last couple holes.”

Six years ago at the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP, Thomas closed with a final-round 65 and finished T17. That’s the kind of finale he’s looking for again as he looks to become a winner, again, on the PGA TOUR – before becoming a dad for the first time next month.

Thomas was off for nearly two months after the TOUR Championship and said earlier in the week he was “champing at the bit” to get back inside the ropes in competition. He said he was laser-like focused on “business” this week and trying to win and then it would be time to go home and “get ready to be a dad.”

For Sunday’s finale, Thomas said practicing patience will be key if he wants to take this one across the finish line. Although he believes there are a lot of birdie holes at Narashino Country Club, if you get out of position it’s easy to make a bogey. That’s something Thomas has impressively avoided for the most part this week – he hasn’t made a bogey since his 13th hole Thursday.

“I think just because if I happen to be even through five, six, seven holes, that doesn't mean I'm out of it, I just have to keep my head down and really just treat each hole for what it is and really try to make as many birdies as I can,” Thomas said about his game plan for Sunday.

“I have a lot of faith in myself and my game, but I can't control what the other guys do. I've just got to play the best I can and believe that it will be good enough.”