Justin Thomas has back surgery and will miss the start of next season. He had the surgery on his lower back on Thursday in New York.
What happened?
Thomas said the surgery was for a herniated disk, which surprised him as he didn't feel any pain in his back. He thought the issue was with his right hip.
Why it matters for Justin Thomas
The injury will keep Thomas out of the revived Skins Game, the Hero World Challenge, and the PNC Championship with his father. He was scheduled to start next season at The American Express in the California desert.
Thomas won the RBC Heritage in April to end a three-year drought and returned to the elite in golf at No. 8 in the world. He made a fourth straight Ryder Cup appearance.
What comes next?
Thomas will start minor rehabilitation work in about three weeks and could be playing golf in two months. However, he will take his recovery slowly to avoid returning too soon.
Doctors told Thomas the surgery went as planned, and he will avoid bending, lifting, or twisting for now. Thomas said he would miss at least a couple of events to start 2026 but did not want to set a goal for any tournament.
He will channel the words of Jim Furyk, who once told him, “No one has ever come back from an injury too late.” Thomas called the option of a cortisone injection a temporary fix.
The diagnosis explained some of the issues Thomas felt on the golf course from his right side, especially when the pain started going down toward his hamstrings. Thomas, 32, has won 16 times on the PGA Tour, including two PGA Championship titles.
This will be the second time Thomas has missed time with an injury. He was out for nearly two months in 2019, missing the PGA Championship, waiting for a wrist injury to heal. Thomas said he would take his time to recover and not rush back to avoid any temptation.
Thomas's immediate instructions are to avoid what he called “BLT” — no bending, lifting, or twisting. He said he would focus on his rehabilitation and not think about his return to golf yet.
The injury is a setback for Thomas, but he is determined to recover and come back stronger. He will work with his doctors and trainers to ensure he is fully ready before returning to golf.
Thomas's fans will have to wait a bit longer to see him back on the course. But with his determination and hard work, he will be back to his best soon. Thomas is expected to make a full recovery and return to golf in the near future.
The exact date of Thomas's return is not yet known, but he will surely be back on the course soon, competing at the highest level. For now, he will focus on his rehabilitation and take his time to recover from the surgery.