Justin Thomas pulls off stunning recovery from creek at the PGA Championship 2025, Round 1

Justin Thomas is back at the PGA Championship, where he won his first major in 2017. That year, he opened with a 73 and went on to finish at 8 under par to claim the title. In 2025, Thomas once again started the tournament with a 2-over 73 score at Quail Hollow, matching his opening round score from 2017.

The biggest moment of his round came on the 18th hole. Thomas hit his approach shot near a creek on the 18th hole and had to remove one shoe to balance on the rocks. He chipped the ball from the edge of the water, and it stopped just inches from the hole, helping him save par. The PGA Championship’s official X account shared the clip along with the following caption:

“Between a rock & a creek... What an escape from Justin Thomas!”

Thomas started his round with a par but ran into trouble early. He made a double bogey on the par-4 2nd hole, followed by a bogey on the 3rd. He dropped another shot on the 6th hole but bounced back with a birdie on the 8th. However, he bogeyed the 9th and finished the front nine with a 39.

On the back nine, Thomas posted four birdies on the 10th, 14th, 15th, and 16th holes. He also made bogeys on the 12th and 18th holes, closing the round with a 2-over 73 score.

How has Justin Thomas performed so far in 2025?

Justin Thomas has played 12 events so far this season, including the ongoing PGA Championship. He began the year at the Sentry Tournament of Champions, finishing tied for 26th with rounds of 71, 71, 68, and 63, ending at 19 under par. At the American Express, Thomas finished as the runner-up, posting 67, 64, 68, and 66 for 23 under.

He tied for 48th at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am with scores of 66, 70, 74, and 71 (7 under). At the WM Phoenix Open, he tied for 6th, shooting 66, 68, 70, and 65 (15 under). Justin Thomas tied for 9th at the Genesis Invitational, carding 73, 71, 69, and 69 (6 under). He finished tied for 36th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational with 71, 70, 74, and 76 (3 under).

At the Players Championship, Thomas tied for 33rd after rounds of 78, 62, 73, and 73 (2 under). He finished as the runner-up again at the Valspar Championship, shooting 73, 70, 65, and 66 (10 under). At the Masters, he tied for 36th with rounds of 76, 76, and 70.

Justin Thomas claimed his first win of the year at the RBC Heritage, also his first victory since the 2022 Zozo Championship, posting 61, 69, 69, and 68 for a score of 17 under par.

Most recently, before the PGA Championship, Thomas tied for 2nd at the Truist Championship, shooting 66, 67, 66, and 67 for a 14 under score.