Justin Thomas has no problem with the strength of THE PLAYERS Championship field. “I’m not going to have an asterisk next to my name for winning because the field wasn’t good,” he said.

Thomas is at TPC Sawgrass to play in THE PLAYERS Championship beginning Thursday, March 14. The two-time Major champion held his usual pre-event press conference and the topic of the alleged reduction in the strength of the field came up.

Here’s what Justin Thomas had to say about it (via NUCLR GOLF):

“It’s still been the best field in golf for many previous years. Yeah, you could always make an argument that there’s other tournaments that are or are not. The PGA Championship has been the deepest field in terms of the most top 100 players, and I’m not just saying that for selfish reasons, it’s just the truth.”

“I know what you mean in terms of World Ranking and guys that are or aren’t on the TOUR anymore, but that’s just kind of the reality that… and what they have put themselves in… I’m not going to have an asterisk next to my name for winning this because the field wasn’t too good, right.”

Justin Thomas won THE PLAYERS Championship in 2021. He also won the PGA Championship twice (2017 and 2022).

Recently, Talor Gooch gave an interview to The Australian Golf Digest in which he expressed that if Rory McIlroy wins The Masters in 2024, his title would carry an asterisk because not all of the top players will be in the field.

Eight players who are currently part of LIV Golf could have claimed a spot in THE PLAYERS Championship field, but they are barred by PGA Tour rules. Talor Gooch is not one of them.

Justin Thomas at TPC Sawgrass

Thomas has played in nine editions of THE PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass. He has always made the first cut (the tournament was cancelled in 2020 due to Covid).

Justin Thomas won the 2021 edition and finished 3rd in 2016. His worst finish was in 2017 (75th).

Thomas has played 31 rounds at TPC Sawgrass (he was cut after 3 rounds in 2017), and in 23 of them he scored par or better. He has posted eight rounds with scores in the 60s and his lowest score record for 18 holes is a 64 (third round of the 2021 edition, in which he became champion).

His lowest score record for 72 holes is 14 under, also achieved in 2021. On the negative side, his worst round was 79 (third round of the 2017 edition). His worst score of the tournament was not for 72 holes, as in 2017 he shot 7 over after only three rounds.