The 2025 PGA Tour season is in the books following the final event of the year at the RSM Classic this past week.
It was another dominant year for Scottie Scheffler, with the world number one winning six times. Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy secured sporting immortality at The Masters as he completed the Career Grand Slam.
The likes of Ben Griffin and J.J. Spaun enjoyed breakout years. However, big names such as Collin Morikawa and Jordan Spieth failed to end their current waits for a victory on the PGA Tour in 2025.
There was one major champion who did end a lengthy drought this year in what could be looked back upon as something of a comeback season if he subsequently manages to kick on.
Justin Thomas is credited with the best round on the PGA Tour in 2025
Justin Thomas won the RBC Heritage while he also came agonisingly close at the Valspar Championship.
And there were further reasons for optimism for Thomas, with Ryan Lavner suggesting on the Golf Channel Podcast that the 32-year-old played the best round he saw all year at the PGA Tour’s flagship event.
“I had a couple of honourable mentions that I wanted to get to,” he said. “I wanted to get to Thomas Detry’s closing 66 in Phoenix – remember he birdied the last four holes at TPC Scottsdale to nail down his first PGA Tour victory.
“I wanted to go with Rory’s third round 65 at Pebble Beach in what was absolutely horrific conditions. But if you remember Shane Lowry shot the exact same score, so I can’t just give it to Rory McIlroy.
“I wanted to go with Viktor Hovland’s final round 67 at the Valspar Championship when he did not know if he was going to find the centre of the club face the entire day; remarkable that Viktor Hovland, in that state, won a PGA Tour event.
“I wanted to go with Chris Gotterup staring down Rory McIlroy in Scotland head to head to win that golf tournament as well.
“Instead, I went a little bit chalky, keeping with the theme of The Players Championship, it’s Justin Thomas’ course record-tying 62. And the reason I thought that was so impactful, not just because what it represented against the field average – I believe it’s the second best round per strokes gained metrics – but it also came after an opening 78.
“JT can run as hot as anybody. He made 11 birdies in that second round. You and I were both photographed out there on that right rough on 18. We wanted to see history, we wanted to see a 61 at TPC Sawgrass. Instead, the rough along the right hand side flipped his club over, went into the water. He actually did well to get up and down for a bogey to shoot 62.
“That was, in my opinion, the best golf that was played this year. It didn’t end up mattering. JT ended up tying for 33rd in the golf tournament. But just a reminder of how special a talent that he is, being able to run up a score that he did.”
The area of the game Justin Thomas needs to improve upon heading into 2026
Thomas will be desperate for 2026 to be even better. He did finish in the top 10 on eight occasions this year, while he was arguably the safest bet to be picked by Keegan Bradley for the Ryder Cup before his six choices were announced.
But there is one area of his game which does require work in the off-season. Thomas was 89th on the PGA Tour in strokes gained off the tee in 2025.
That is the only strokes gained category where he finds himself outside of the top 50.
He is not inside the top 20 in any category, so there is plenty to work on elsewhere. But clearly, if he can get his driving to anything like an elite level ahead of 2026, he is definitely going to be one player to watch out for.
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