At Record Low Since Rib Cage Injury, Xander Schauffele Proves Beneficial to Justin Thomas After 3-Hour Meeting

“I worked my b–t off, stayed patient, stayed positive,” Justin Thomas shared his key pointer after his long overdue victory at the RBC Heritage. The golfer’s driving accuracy was below average, distancing approximately 309 yards, but what stood out was his putting. Until last year, J.T. was no way near the top 100 on the PGA Tour in putting, but now, since the start of 2025, especially since the RBC Heritage week, a massive change is visible. He was third in stroke gained in putting this week. No doubt his hard work was a great contributor. But, there was another reason why the golfer could clinch his 16th win after a break of 2 years and 10 months.

To reveal the secret, Todd Lewis, after interviewing J.T., joined the Golf Channel podcast with Rex Hoggard and Ryan Lavner. Starting off, when asked, Lewis shared how the 31-year-old has improved his putting. Interestingly, the answer that came from the golfer was unexpected but believable. Thomas had shared how he admired Xander Schauffele and his approach to the game, especially his putting.

So, the story is, J.T. managed to have a 3-hour meetup at a club in South Florida where they both compared notes. Specifically, how their setup works, strokes, and fundamentals. Not just this, but the American professional has now shared the same at the post-match press conference. When the moderator asked, “Statistically, this is the best you’ve putted in years. What’s behind the improvement that you’ve seen?” Answering this, J.T. said, “As funny as it is, a huge help. I called Xander at the end of last year because I think he’s one of the best putters in fundamentals and not just putting but everything, and I was just like, can I just pick your brain for like two or three hours, just talk to you about putting.”

The duo’s friendship, apart from being competitive on the course, goes back to 2020 during the Olympics. It’s a strong bond, as Schauffele, who struggled with a rib injury since the end of 2024, took time off to recover and did not participate, but he was there to help his fellow mate.

Continuing, Justin Thomas shared how Xander Schauffele kept asking questions and made him realize the mistake. Schauffele, ranked 12th in strokes gained putting in 2025, offers valuable advice backed by his success on the greens, making him a trusted mentor for Thomas. Known for his calm and solid fundamentals, has become a key mentor to younger players. His support for Thomas during his recovery highlights the strong camaraderie among top PGA pros, always working to elevate each other’s games. For another perspective, Schauffele and Cantlay have built a strong partnership, both on and off the course. Their synergy was on full display when they set a new 54-hole record at the 2022 Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

Even for Thomas, the stats saw a huge upside with his 2025 schedule performance.

Justin Thomas’s stats compared

The 16-time PGA Tour title winner, who struggled to bag a victory after his PGA Championship in 2022, has also struggled with dropping OWGR. The former world No. 1 was dropped to the 22nd rank by the end of the 2024 schedule. However, now with 2025 participation, things are falling into place for him. After his drought-ending victory at the RBC Heritage, he is in 6th position.

Well, not just this, but his stats have changed substantially. In 2024, the golfer was at 174th position for his stroke gained in putting with -0.478. Additionally, for his putting average, he was 46th with 1.7. He had secured three top-five finishes and five top-10 finishes across 18 tournaments, demonstrating consistent, but not J.T.-level, performance. Interestingly, J.T.’s best putting stats were putts per round, which was 28.28 – helped him to 30th place. On the other hand, as per PGA Tour 2025 season stats, Thomas is leading with the highest putting average of 1.6. Even on putts per round, he is fifth with 27.63, and stroke gained in putting is at 24th position. The three-hour discussion with his fellow has definitely helped him, and the result is obviously the steep upside in performance.

Despite the struggle with driving, putting has been a savior for J.T. Can this continue with his 2025 schedule, or will he struggle with driving in the future? What are your thoughts on the discussion with Schauffele? Share with us in the comments below.

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