Justin Thomas’ plans to build on a promising 2025 season have taken a hit, with the two-time major winner confirming he has had surgery to address a back injury.
Although Thomas was not quite at his peak last season, there were still plenty of reasons for optimism. He captured the RBC Heritage title and added three runner-up finishes on the PGA Tour.
He also secured what looked to be an important point for Team USA in the Ryder Cup, defeating Tommy Fleetwood in an impressive singles match.
Justin Thomas facing a spell on the sidelines after undergoing surgery
Thomas announced on Instagram that he has had surgery to address a back problem, though he has not put a timeline on his return just yet.
It is certainly a setback for him, but the 32-year-old is far from the only high-profile player dealing with injuries lately. Both Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele have also taken some time to get going in 2025.
Speaking on the Golf Channel Podcast, Rex Hoggard pointed out one potential pitfall Thomas will need to avoid during his recovery.
“I think Justin Thomas, being relatively young and in relatively good shape, plus the fact he works with the same trainer that Tiger Woods works with. They have been through this. They know the psychology and protocols they have to go through
“I had a chance to talk with Harris English this morning about JT. And if anybody knows about coming back from injury, Harris English had major hip surgery back in 2022, it could have been career ending the things he was dealing with.
“Now he is playing in Ryder Cup teams, he is contending in majors and has won on the PGA Tour since then.
“He said what we always hear from professional athletes. No professional athlete has ever come back too late from an injury.
“Harris actually admitted that ‘I came back too soon’. I was out six months and I got sick and tired of sitting on the couch and did not want to miss another major.
“That is what you have to wrestle with and I think more than anything that will be the one thing JT will struggle with, as you and I both know that he can be a bit of a hard head when it comes to these things.”
Justin Thomas’ biggest priority ahead of the 2026 season
There will still be plenty for Thomas to focus on when he is able to start getting back to work. While his performances in events like the RBC Heritage were extremely impressive, he will not be satisfied with his play at the majors.
He did not finish inside the top 30 in any of them, missing the cut at the US Open and the PGA Championship.
Thomas’ biggest issue was his driving, which was the only strokes gained category in which he did not rank in the PGA Tour’s top 50.
The 32-year-old may be desperate to return to work and prepare for the 2026 season. However, he must clearly be prepared to take his time and exercise extreme patience to ensure this is his only comeback.
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