Justin Thomas ready to defend at Sentry Tournament of Champions

Justin Thomas’ hunger is returning, at least in a metaphorical sense. Some of the 20 pounds that Thomas, who’s notoriously lithe for a player who ranks among the game’s longest hitters, has gained this year can be attributed to the festive fare that one is confronted with this time of year. “Coming off of Thanksgiving and Christmas, I’ll be excited to start eating a little better again,â€� said Thomas, who now weighs a hefty 165 pounds. “I’ve been trying to eat as well as I can these last couple weeks, but there’s only so well you can do.â€� Thomas took part in a teleconference Monday to promote his title defense at the Sentry Tournament of Champions, which begins Jan. 4 on Kapalua’s Plantation Course. The winners-only event on Maui will be the first of back-to-back title defenses he’ll face next month in Hawaii. The Sentry will be his first official PGA TOUR event since winning THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES on Oct. 22, as well. The time off was well deserved after a frantic finish to the season that saw him win his first major championship and the FedExCup. Starting with the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, Thomas has won three of seven PGA TOUR starts and clinched the FedExCup with a runner-up at the TOUR Championship. He is No. 7 in this season’s standings as he tries to become the first player to win consecutive FedExCups. “It’s been a nice offseason, but over the last week or so I’ve been starting to get a little hungry and ready to get back out there,â€� said Thomas, who admit that he was underprepared for his appearance earlier this month at the Hero World Challenge. He finished 11th in the 18-man field, one shot behind Tiger Woods and 11 shots behind winner Rickie Fowler. Thomas also completed another tropical trip with Jordan Spieth and Smylie Kaufman before beginning his preparations for Hawaii. I think the hardest part is going to be staying in the moment and recognizing that it’s a new year. It’s a new opportunity for great things. Thomas knows many are curious to see how he copes with all the success he had in 2017. He saw Jordan Spieth face constant comparisons in 2016 to his historic 2015 season. Spieth won twice in the season following his FedExCup-winning campaign, but it was not enough to meet the inflated standards of media, fans and himself. Thomas has sought advice from Spieth and others about how to handle the pressure that can follow a career-changing year. “I know I’m constantly going to get reminded of what I did last year versus this year and whether it’s better or whether it’s worse,â€� Thomas said. “I think the hardest part is going to be staying in the moment and recognizing that it’s a new year. It’s a new opportunity for great things.â€� He’ll immediately be reminded of two impressive performances when the season resumes in January. He was 49 under par in the TOUR’s two Hawaii events last year, winning by a combined 10 shots. He won the Sony Open in Hawaii by seven shots, breaking the PGA TOUR’s 72-hole scoring record with a 27-under 253. His dominant showing, which started with a first-round 59, came one week after a dramatic victory at the Sentry Tournament of Champions. Thomas birdied the Plantation Course’s final two holes for a three-shot victory over Hideki Matsuyama. The clutch finish allowed him to avoid losing a large lead that was in danger after his double-bogey at the par-5 15th hole. He called his 8-iron approach into the second-to-last hole one of the most important shots of his career. “If I lose that tournament, who knows what happens last year,â€� Thomas said. “It’s easy to say, ‘What if’, but I think I had a five-shot lead with five to play and if I lose that, it’s going to hurt a little bit.â€� He doesn’t have to worry about that. Instead, he’s trying to continue the momentum he built from a memorable year.

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