Justin Thomas Ties Harbour Town Record, Ends Three-Year PGA Tour Drought With RBC Heritage Win
Justin Thomas Rises Above Drought With Course-Record Fireworks at Harbour Town
If you blinked on day one of the 2025 RBC Heritage, you probably missed history. Justin Thomas flew around Harbour Town Golf Links with a red-hot putter, stringing together a dazzling 10-under 61—the best round any golfer has fired there in 18 months and tying the all-time course record. The number not only launched him to the top of the leaderboard but signaled he was back after a long dry spell.
But golf isn’t a one-day show. Thomas had every reason to tighten up after those fireworks. The pressure of leading early, coupled with nearly three winless seasons, would rattle most pros. He battled through bumpy stretches in the middle rounds—fighting off nerves, wind shifts, and a hungry field all gunning for his lead. Yet, coming into Sunday, Thomas drew on experience and fresh perspective, thanks to some big changes off the course.
His final round? Flawless. Not a single bogey on the card, every key putt dropping at just the right moment. That 68 brought him to 17-under, forcing a sudden-death duel with Andrew Novak. The playoff had all the major drama—crowds closing in, every shot under the microscope. On the 18th, extra holes ticking away, Thomas rolled in a birdie putt that ended the standoff. The drought was over. His fist pump said it all: relief, joy, and proof to himself—and everyone else—that he still belonged in the winner’s circle.
Victory Puts Thomas Among Elite Young Winners
This wasn’t any ordinary win. It was Thomas’s 16th on the PGA Tour, a number only a handful of players have hit before turning 32. The company he keeps? Tiger Woods, Arnold Palmer, Rory McIlroy—modern golf royalty. For three years, Thomas had watched rival after rival lift trophies while his own game seemed stuck in neutral. After his breakthrough, he made sure the credit went around, openly thanking his wife and young daughter for keeping him grounded and reminding him why he started chasing golf dreams to begin with.
The comeback story is always sweeter when the struggle is real. Thomas’s fans saw a golfer on the edge: battling doubts, tweaking his swing, and learning how to balance life as a father and fierce competitor. The record-tying 61 was flashy, for sure. But outlasting the field after months of frustration—that’s what really cemented this victory as a turning point.
- With his win at Harbour Town, Thomas reminded everyone he’s still a force when his back is against the wall.
- The victory breaks one of the longest stretches without a PGA Tour victory in his career.
- Joining the 16-plus-wins-before-32 club puts Thomas in the same breath as the legends he grew up idolizing.
Golf moves fast, and the next tournament will come soon enough. But this week at Harbour Town, everything clicked for Justin Thomas. He’s the story of the week—and now, he’s back in the mix with the sport’s best.