Justin Thomas was on the brink of victory at the Valspar Championship. But in a dramatic turn of events, he let it slip away in the final stretch. Holding a three-shot lead with just four holes to play, Thomas seemed all set to break his two-year winless streak. But golf, as always, had other plans. A couple of costly bogeys opened the door for Viktor Hovland, who ended up being the one capping off his winless streak – and a whopping 19-month one at that. With clutch birdies on the 16th and 17th, the Norwegian surged ahead, snatching the title right out of Thomas’ hands.

It was a tough pill to swallow for the American, who had played solid golf all weekend and looked in control until those closing holes. After the round, Thomas reflected on the heartbreak, offering his candid thoughts on how things unraveled. It was another frustrating near-miss. However, he finally had a silver lining. His team Atlanta defeated New York 6-5 on Monday night in the first match of the best-of-three TGL Finals Series at the SoFi Center. But looks like he might not quite be ready yet.

At the TGL presser, when he was asked if he had any fatigue, JT replied, “I’m pretty tired, yeah. I think we wouldn’t be — we would be tired if it had nothing to do with golf, just the fact of a 9:00 p.m. start is very — well, not very; it’s just not what we do. So it’s very difficult to figure out routine-wise”. The game of golf demands a lot of discipline and fitness, and to maintain that, most golfers follow a lifestyle that helps them stay healthy and fit. Justin Thomas highlighted the same thing.

“I think we’re all very routine oriented, and when we wake up, when we start our day, when we start our warmup, when we start our practice warmup golf-wise, and now it’s weird having an entire day and then kind of getting into that,” he added. However, he also added that every team at the TGL is doing the same thing. Plus, with the season almost about to end, the adrenaline rush is unbeatable, but they all are looking forward to some rest as well. “But yeah, I think all of us are a little amped up right now but also ready to go to sleep,” he revealed.

Justin Thomas sure might be tired, but he is full of resilience at this moment. He might have lost the Valspar Championship, but his form undoubtedly was commendable.

Could Justin Thomas be close to a breakthrough?

Coming close to victory is always tough, and for Justin Thomas, the frustration of narrowly missing out continues. Despite falling short at the Valspar Championship, he remained upbeat when speaking to the media afterward, emphasizing how much he enjoyed being in contention. “It was a blast. I’ve had plenty of chances this year, but nothing quite like that,” Thomas shared. “That’s exactly why we play and practice. I felt great out there—comfortable and excited for every shot. There’s not much I can do when he birdies 16 and 17, and I made it easier on him, but it was fun—really fun—but winning is hard.”

On the other side, Viktor Hovland’s recent struggles have been well-documented. He’s been open about his inconsistencies, but when the pressure was on, he delivered spectacularly. His victory at the Valspar was no small feat—statistically, he became the first player in over a year to miss three consecutive cuts and then bounce back with a win. With the Ryder Cup on the horizon, Hovland will be thrilled to have regained his winning form.

As for Thomas, his performance so far in 2025 suggests that a breakthrough victory isn’t far away. If he keeps putting himself in these positions, it’s only a matter of time before he lifts another trophy. Stay tuned—his next big moment could be just around the corner.