Justin Thomas to Those Complaining About PGA Tour Setup: ‘Play Your Way In’

The 2024 PGA Tour schedule gets underway Thursday with The Sentry – the first of a dozen Signature Events on this year’s slate. The Sentry, taking place in Maui, Hawaii, is exclusive to winners on tour in 2023 along with the top 50 in FedEx Cup points.

Among the group who won’t be participating is Justin Thomas, who failed to make the FedEx Cup playoffs for the first time in his career in 2023.

Two notable players not in the field:
– Jon Rahm, who is the defending champion went to LIV (in case anyone forgot)
– Justin Thomas, who didn’t win a tournament last year and failed to make the top 50 of the FedEx Cup Standings pic.twitter.com/yxllbKuHUx

— Josh Segal (@Josh_Segal8) December 29, 2023

Thomas, however, says his exclusion is proof as to why the new concept of Signature Events and full-field events works, despite criticism from many players that it just allows the best players to get richer.

Thomas told the Associated Press:

“Golf is a funky game. Doesn’t matter how good of a player, any accomplishments you’ve had. You can have an off-year and miss the playoffs, just like I did. Everybody has got to work hard, and you have to earn it.”

Thomas said that instead of complaining about the format, those players should look to the likes of Eric Cole and Adam Schenk.

Both golfers didn’t win last year but are in Maui because they placed in the top 50 in last season’s standings. Cole, in particular, spent years on smaller tours before becoming a rookie on the PGA Tour last year. He played his way to No. 43 and will now participate in all of 2024’s big events, including the Masters. And he even got engaged at Pebble Beach!

“I think it’s the easy thing to do, honestly, to sit there and say: ‘Why me? Why is this happening to me? Why are they getting this?’ Or you can look at it like Adam Schenk did and say, ‘I’m going to play my way into those events.’ Eric Cole, ‘I’m going to play my way into those events,’” Thomas said.

I spent 38 minutes hanging out with Justin Thomas on the driving range. Come hang out to see what we learned!

Warming Up with @JustinThomas34 — now LIVE on YouTube: https://t.co/RcShRakxlapic.twitter.com/VNTrgaMXi7

— Dylan Dethier (@dylan_dethier) December 28, 2023

Thomas’s game has shown signs of life as of late. He finished in the top five in his only event of the PGA Tour’s fall season, he played well at the Ryder Cup, and was third in the Hero World Challenge last month – an unofficial money event on the schedule but against an all-star field.

Cover Image via Golf Magazine