Justin Thomas is undoubtedly one of the most talented players on the PGA Tour, but in recent years, he’s also become the king of “almost.” Whether it’s a shot that grazes the edge of the cup or a tournament that slips through his fingers, the storyline has been frustratingly familiar for the 15-time PGA Tour winner.

Take last year’s American Express, for example. The PGA Tour recently shared a throwback clip of JT on one of the most challenging Par 3s. In the video, the commentators couldn’t stop raving about his swing. “Taking dead aim,” one said, as Thomas lined up his 7-iron.

The result? It’s a nearly perfect shot. Inches away from a hole-in-one. “Come on, what a man! 7-iron, nearly an ace,” one commentator said. Another added, “What a swing. I mean, again, I watched him warm up, and, you know, it was like a video game. Just had it on a string.”

But like many of JT’s best moments lately, there was a catch. The ball didn’t drop. It was almost incredible. Even Thomas isn’t over it—he recently reshared the clip on his Instagram story, captioning it, “One year later and I still don’t know how this missed.”

How would you JT? No one wakes up and says, “You know what? I think I’ll miss this one just for fun.”

While Thomas didn’t win the American Express last year, he still delivered an impressive performance, finishing at T3 with Xander Schauffele and Kevin Yu, at 27 under. Indeed that was impressive but certainly not enough for someone like Thomas.

This year the golfer is back in the field to rewrite the script. It’s been nearly three years since his last win—the 2022 PGA Championship (precisely stating it has been 639 days) and of course he wants this one desperately.

“The next step is definitely winning, winning, and winning more,”  he said recently as per Reuters. This is the second event Thomas is playing in after the Sentry where he finished at T26.

Last year he played in 20 events, but the taste for win remained a dream. “Obviously I did, I had a lot of good last year, and played solid golf, but it was a season without any trophies, and that’s, I don’t want to say not acceptable, but not, it’s not my favorite thing in the world, I’ll just say that,” Thomas admitted as per Reuters. “I just got to keep plugging, keep working on what I’m working on.”

JT had four top-10 finishes and nearly ended his drought with two top-3 results at the close of 2024. But for Thomas, that’s not enough. He’s done with “almost” and ready to turn those close calls into wins. So what’s his mantra for winning this year? In his words: aggression. “It’s go make a birdie every hole,” he said. ” … You have to, you put the ball in play off the tee, you have a lot of wedges, a lot of short irons, the par-5s are reachable, and the greens are in good condition where you can just get on some rolls. I think that’s the big thing is trying to stay patient.”

With 155 players on the field, all vying for the $1.53 million purse, the American Express competition is fierce. But for JT, his goal is about more than just ending his winless drought. It’s also has a personal goal to it.

Justin Thomas is playing for something bigger than just a win

Justin Thomas is fully embracing his role as a new dad, and it’s no surprise that his daughter, Molly, is already his biggest inspiration. Eight weeks into fatherhood, Thomas is finding fresh motivation in his little girl. During a recent media interaction, he opened up about how much he’s looking forward to creating those iconic moments we’ve all seen on TV. “I think you watch it all the, or at least growing up all the time on TV of guys winning tournaments and greeting their family and their little ones on 18 Green. And, you know, I’m pretty excited for that opportunity one day and hopefully sooner rather than later.”

Becoming a dad has definitely given JT a new perspective, but he admits life with a newborn is all about routine right now. “As it is eight weeks old, you’re not really getting a whole lot. They’re pretty much creatures of habit of eating, sleeping, and pooping. That’s pretty much all they do. So, you know, getting some smiles and getting to hang out with them has been good fun.” he said.

For Justin Thomas, the win isn’t just something he wants anymore; it’s something he needs. With Molly now a part of his life, breaking his winless streak isn’t just about trophies—it’s about showing his daughter that her dad is still one of the best out there. And you get the sense that JT isn’t going to stop until that vision becomes a reality.