BREAKING: Justin Thomas Withdraws From PGA Championship

After all of the excitement of The Masters just a month ago, golf fans are now getting revved up again for the PGA Championship to be played in May for the first time. But that excitement may have to be tempered a bit with one superstar forced to withdraw.

With the PGA Championship ready to take place this week, former champion Justin Thomas will not be participating due to a wrist injury. This is a major shock to many, as Thomas was seen as a top contender to win the championship along with Tiger Woods, Brooks Koepka, and others. The injury wasn’t expected to keep Thomas out of the event, even after pulling out of the Wells Fargo Championship a few weeks ago but it is apparently worse than expected.

 

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Justin Thomas (@justinthomas34) on May 13, 2019 at 2:13pm PDT

“Unfortunately, I will be withdrawing from the 101st PGA Championship at Bethpage Black this week as my wrist is not yet fully healed,” Thomas tweeted out. “Obviously, as a past champion, this tournament is extra special to me. It consistently has the strongest field in golf and I’m disappointed to not be among those competing this year, but I’m optimistic about a return in the near future.”

Justin Thomas of the United States poses with the Wanamaker Trophy…

Justin Thomas of the United States poses with the Wanamaker Trophy after winning the 2017 PGA Championship during the final round at Quail Hollow Club on August 13, 2017 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images

Usually, these injuries are not something to worry about but the fact that Thomas’ wrist is forcing him to withdraw from a major says that it’s certainly a cause for concern. This is especially true because of Thomas’ success at the PGA Championship, winning in 2017 and having a top-ten finish in 2018. So the injury must be serious if Thomas can’t participate in arguably the tournament he’s had the most success in.

And this injury could not have come down at a worse time for Thomas. Not only does he have major success at the PGA Championship, but he’s also been quietly having a fantastic start to the season. He finished T-12 at the Masters and has four top-ten finishes in 2019. Thomas also is one of three players this year to average more than two strokes gained per round.

While it’s disappointing that Thomas won’t be able to play at Bethpage Black this week, but it’s probably better for Thomas to ensure he’s fully healthy moving forward. Hopefully, that health comes quickly and he’s able to capitalize on his momentum when he returns to the game.

Cover Image Via Instagram