SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. – Justin Thomas’ reign as world No. 1 lasted all of four weeks – and one start.
Dustin Johnson reclaimed the top spot on Sunday after winning the FedEx St. Jude Classic, while Thomas flew here to begin preparations for the U.S. Open.
In his only appearance as world No. 1, Thomas tied for eighth at the Memorial.
“It wasn’t that hard on me because I couldn’t do anything about it,” Thomas said Tuesday at the U.S. Open. “DJ won, so it’s not like he didn’t play well and didn’t earn it or anything. He won a golf tournament, and a great tournament. So there’s nothing I can be upset about for that.”
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Thomas said he saw a post on social media Monday that also brought some levity to his situation. It was one of those the-last-time-this-happened tweets, the kind that usually flash back to a time when a gallon of gas cost a dime or the top-grossing movie was “Titanic.”
Instead, it was a tweet that showed what happened the last time Thomas wasn’t ranked No. 1 in the world ... in early May.
Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin didn’t have a Stanley Cup title.
And Rickie Fowler wasn’t engaged.
“I thought it was pretty funny,” Thomas said. “But it is what it is. He won. He deserves it for the time being, and I just have to continue to do what I’m doing.”
There are six different scenarios for Thomas to return to world No. 1 this week, including the simplest of all: Win.