Justin Thomas throws club in fiery PGA Championship outburst | Golf | Sport

Justin Thomas hurled his club after his tee shot veered left on the 14th hole at the PGA Championship on Thursday, only to miraculously salvage bogey from a dire position. With victory this week, Thomas would join six other golfers with three PGA Championship wins. He made an encouraging start, posting a one-under par 69 during the opening round of the 108th edition of the tournament at Aronimink Golf Club.

However, following a wayward shot on the 14th hole, which narrowly avoided spectators, he flung his club in frustration onto the tee box. Despite the setback, Thomas rescued himself with just a bogey on 14, and registered three birdies and only one other bogey on the day.

“For sure,” said Thomas after the round, acknowledging his frustration at certain moments.

“I really only hit a couple bad shots today. I played really, really solidly and drove the ball well until kind of the last four holes. Hit a lot of great putts, a lot of quality iron shots. If I had any energy left, I would go to the range and hit some, but I’m absolutely not doing that.”

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Thomas also highlighted the course’s difficulty, as many others did.

“All of it,” said Thomas when asked about the biggest challenge.

“The pins were brutal. They were — I mean, the pin on — there were so many, but like that one on 14, when you’re standing on the back of the green, I’m looking at it like this is a 220-yard par-3 into a 20-mile-an-hour wind, and that thing was right on the ridge.

“That’s what’s kind of cool about this place. You can push the pins a little bit and kind of make it challenging, and carry it, and they do a great job.”

Thomas sits just two shots off the lead alongside 18 others, and he is eager to return for the second round and demonstrate what he is capable of.

“Really just trying to get some rest and kind of get back in it,” added Thomas. “I feel like I did a lot of really good things today and continue to do a lot of really good things.

“Just try to do more of the same to start out tomorrow and see if we can ride a little momentum and focus on a lower number.”

He also highlighted the one element of the course that may prove more forgiving than the rest, as Aronimink boasts notoriously demanding par-threes.

“The front nine is definitely more gettable than the back, so that’s a start,” he continued. “I played, I felt like, flawless in there for probably 13 holes.

“Honestly, I just had a very hard time staying focused. It’s a long, long day out there. It’s so, so tough, very, very windy, some tough pins.

“Really proud of the way I played and the way I hung in there. Solid first round.”

This article first appeared on Mirror US.