With four holes left on Friday, Justin Thomas was even-par and appeared on cruise control to make the cut at the Masters. Then, he didn't. Photo Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Network Apr 12, 2024; Augusta, Georgia, USA; Justin Thomas reacts on the 18th green during the second round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Network
ArticlesFeaturedGolfBy Michael Dixon on

Justin Thomas missed the cut at the Masters by a single stroke. And while Thomas is far from the only prominent player who won’t be playing the weekend at Augusta, his story is particularly rough.

When Thomas teed off on the 15th hole on Friday, he was even-par for the tournament. Tom Dierberger of Sports Illustrated noted that the cut at the time looked to be five-over. It ended up being six-over. But Thomas still came up short.

It started on his second shot on No. 15. Thomas hit a seemingly safe lay-up shot on the par-five. But the ball continued to roll out into the water.

After dropping his third shot, Thomas’ pitch went over the green. He then used his putter to get on the green and two-putted from there, taking a seven. The 16th hole was also a disaster. Thomas found a bunker off of the tee. His shot out found the green but also caught the slope and rolled away from the hole. Thomas three-putted from there, making his second consecutive double.

Thomas then missed the fairway on No. 17 and his second shot landed over the green. While his chip finished close to the hole, it was not a tap-in. Thomas missed the short putt and settled for a bogey.

Now likely needing a par to make the cut, Thomas’ tee shot on No. 18 found trouble. He struggled to recover, needing four shots on the par-four to even reach the green. Thomas two-putted the final green to finish. He made played the final four holes at seven-over par, making a double-bogey on three of them.

Making matters worse, when Thomas teed off on No. 18, he was one of 50 players at five-over or better. As the top 50 and ties make the cut, his double-bogey opened the door for every player at six-over. So, even a bogey would have been good enough to play the weekend.

The disastrous finish was noticed by golf fans.

Not long ago, Thomas was one of golf’s brightest stars. But he’s been mired in a long slump. This finish was the latest example of it.

[Golf Digest on Twitter/X]

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