Golf // 7 years ago
CIMB Classic: Ten players to watch
1. Justin Thomas, United States -- After claiming the PGA Championship for his first major title, Thomas said he barely had a chance to celebrate because the playoffs started two weeks later. He's dealing with the same type of situation again because he captured the FedExCup, helped the United States retain the Presidents Cup and was voted PGA Tour Player of the Year within the last few weeks. Thomas has made the long flight to Malaysia and this week will be trying to win the CIMB Classic for the third consecutive year. He sank a six-foot par putt on the last hole to claim his first PGA Tour victory by one stroke over Adam Scott of Australia two years ago, and repeated at TPC Kuala Lumpur last October, beating Hideki Matsuyama of Japan by two shots. Thomas, ranked fourth in the world, has shown he can go very low on the course, shooting a tournament-record 11-under-par 61 in round two in 2016, and posting bookend 64s en route to the first of his five victories last year.