British Open 2017: 5 things we learned

3. Justin Thomas must develop consistency to become elite

There may not be a more frustrating player in the world than 24-year old Justin Thomas. When you look at what he’s done overall this season on the PGA Tour, it’s impossible to not be impressed. He has three victories on the tour this season, accompanied by five other top-10 showings (eight total) and seven other top-25 finishes (10 total). What’s more, he also shot a magnificent, record-setting 63 in the third round at Erin Hills in the U.S. Open.

What all of that tells you is that Thomas undoubtedly has the tools to be one of the best players in the world. But as was the case at the U.S. Open and now at the British Open, the biggest issue with him is his consistency. The truth of the matter is, the Louisville, KY native has to develop more round-to-round balance and composure before he’s considered in the top-tier of the golfing world with his peers.

At Royal Birkdale, this was highlighted. After shooting a 3-under 67 on Thursday, he looked like he might be in contention going into the weekend. However, he collapsed spectacularly (or maybe unspectacularly) in the second round with an 80. That 10-over score for the round pushed him below the cut line and he didn’t even see the weekend. That was reminiscent of his time at Erin Hills when he followed up his third-round 63 with a final round 75. Sure, he still finished tied-ninth, but he legitimately could’ve been in the hunt to win with any kind of consistency.

Given how young he is, there’s obviously no reason to give up on Thomas just yet. However, he has to develop a level of consistency before he’s able to be among the sport’s elite players. The talent is there, it’s just about stabilizing his level of performance.