Breakfast Ball #67: JT Returns to the Top

Yes, I have still not finished talking about Rory McIlroy.

A huge thanks goes to Dave O’Connell at the Connacht Tribune for publishing my piece about Rory’s win. It is fantastic to see your work in print.

In This Week’s Newsletter:

Justin Thomas Returns to the Winner’s Circle with a Win at the RBC Heritage

Justin Thomas picked up his first win since the PGA Championship in 2022 with a victory at the RBC Heritage. Thomas finished tied with Andrew Novak on 17-under par after they both shot final rounds of 68, and a playoff was needed to separate the pair. Novak had the chance to win the tournament on the final hole, but his 8 foot birdie putt slid by the cup as JT watched on nervously in the scorer’s room.

Both players got to the green in two on the first playoff hole, and when Novak made par, JT had a 21-foot putt to win. He drilled it in the center and walked away with the plaid jacket and a cheque for $3.6 million. Reflecting on the moment, Thomas said, “I worked my butt off, stayed patient, stayed positive. When the ball went in, it was pure joy.” A well-earned reward for the grind.

JT had a very difficult 2023, finishing outside the top 70 in the FedEx Cup rankings for the first time in his nine seasons on tour. US Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson still picked him for his team in September of that year, and while he performed admirably in Rome, his form has improved dramatically over the last 12 months. He will be a huge asset to Keegan Bradley’s squad in Bethpage this September.

European Results:

• 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Tommy Fleetwood was the top European in 7th place, four shots behind the leaders

• 🇦🇹 Sepp Straka, 🇳🇴 Viktor Hovland, 🇮🇪 Shane Lowry, and 🇫🇮 Sami Valimaki all placed in the top 20

McIlroy’s Historic Win Caps off Dominant Start to 2025

It has been just over a week since Rory McIlroy finally completed his career grand slam and ascended into golfing greatness. He did not compete at the RBC Heritage this week, instead opting to head to the other side of the Atlantic and celebrate the win with his family.

While much of the reaction to the victory was understandably emotional (including my own), even if you look at it from a very objective perspective, the first 4 months of McIlroy’s season have been nothing short of incredible.

He began the year with a victory at Pebble Beach, shooting a final-round 66 to finish at 21-under par, securing a two-stroke win over Shane Lowry. In March, he triumphed at the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass, defeating J.J. Spaun in a three-hole aggregate playoff to claim his second Players title.​ Last week, McIlroy completed his career Grand Slam by winning The Masters in a playoff against Justin Rose, becoming the sixth golfer in history to achieve this feat.

While the list of players that have won the career Grand Slam is short, the group that have won the Players Championship and the Masters in the same year is smaller. Tiger Woods was the first to complete the feat in 2001, while Scottie Scheffler won both events last year. The win at Augusta also started a new club - McIlroy became the first person to win the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, The Players, and The Masters in the same calendar year.

While he is probably still enjoying his most recent win, attention has already turned to McIlroy’s chances to win the calendar Grand Slam. The PGA Championship is at Quail Hollow, a course he has won at four times. The US Open is at Oakmont, a venue that should suit McIlroy’s distance off the tee. Finally, the Open is at Royal Portrush, which he knows very well from his time growing up in Northern Ireland.

Even if McIlroy doesn’t add another major to his résumé this year, 2025 will still go down as a resounding success. He ended the drought, conquered Augusta, and cemented his place among the game’s all-time greats.

That will do.

Golfing News

• 👫 A mixed team event has been added to the schedule for the LA Olympics in 2028!

  • One team per country will be allowed in the 36-hole event, split across two days of foursomes (alternate shot) and fourballs (best ball)

  • It will take place after the men’s event and before the women’s event

  • The Olympics are quickly turning into one of the premier events on the golfing calendar. LA 2028 will be hosted at Riviera Country Club, one of the best courses in the world. This event will be one of the first of its kind, and I am very excited for it!

• 🇨🇳 Ashun Wu won the China Open on the DP World Tour by a single stroke ahead of Jordan Smith

• 🏆️ Garrick Higgo won the Corales Punta Cana Championship in the alternate event on the PGA Tour

  • Joel Dahmen of Full Swing fame was leading the tournament by two strokes with three holes to play, but bogeyed each of the last three holes to lose by one

  • Jeremy Paul was the best of the Europeans, finishing one shot behind Higgo in T2

Coming up this week on Tour

• 👬 Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry will attempt to retain their title at The Zurich Classic

• 🌮 LIV Golf Mexico City is the sixth stop for LIV in 2025

• 🇨🇳 The DP World Tour stays in China for the Hainan Classic

• 🤩 The biggest golf event of the week is Will Simons’ Bachelor/Stag Party in Raleigh, North Carolina 👀

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