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Justin Thomas insists there will be no ‘asterisk’ next to his name if he wins The Players Championship for a second time…despite a diminished field in 2024 without LIV Golf stars

  • This year’s tournament gets underway at TPC Sawgrass, Florida on Thursday
  • Thomas is seeking his second victory following his triumph three years ago
  • Major winners Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka and Cameron Smith will not take part   

Justin Thomas says there will be no asterisk next to his name if he wins The Players Championship for a second time despite the diminished strength of the field.

The PGA Tour’s flagship event, a self-styled fifth major because it has historically had the deepest line-up on the circuit, has been conspicuously weakened by the barring of LIV golfers.

This year’s tournament, starting on Thursday, will be contested without three of the past five major winners in Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka and Cameron Smith, but Thomas, the 2021 champion, has shrugged off their absence as self-inflicted.

He said: ‘It’s been the best field in golf for many previous years. Yeah, you could always make an argument that there’s other tournaments that are or are not. The PGA Championship has been the deepest field in terms of the most top 100 players, and I’m not just saying that for selfish reasons, it’s just the truth.

‘I know what you mean in terms of world ranking and guys that are or aren’t on the Tour anymore, but that’s just kind of the reality that they have put themselves in. I’m not going to have an asterisk next to my name for winning this because the field wasn’t too good, right?’

Justin Thomas is looking to take home the crown for the second time, following his success in 2021

Justin Thomas is looking to take home the crown for the second time, following his success in 2021

World number three and 2023 Masters champions Jon Rahm is among the high-profile names that will be absent from the event

World number three and 2023 Masters champions Jon Rahm is among the high-profile names that will be absent from the event

Viktor Hovland (pictured) has added a strong voice to the criticisms of Tour commissioner Jay Monahan over last year¿s handling of the civil war with LIV

Viktor Hovland (pictured) has added a strong voice to the criticisms of Tour commissioner Jay Monahan over last year’s handling of the civil war with LIV

Meanwhile, Viktor Hovland has added a strong voice to the criticisms of Tour commissioner Jay Monahan over last year’s handling of the civil war with LIV. The world No 4 remains disgruntled by the secret nature of Monahan’s proposed and as-yet-unfilled merger with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.

In calling for Monahan to ‘take ownership’ of his ‘mistakes’, Hovland said: ‘There were some things that were said that have been walked back on and then things have been very contradictory.

‘As a leader of an organisation, I will want a person like that to take some ownership and say, “Hey, we made a couple of mistakes, but this is how we’re going to rectify it”, instead of kind of sweeping it under the rug, which I felt like has been done to a certain degree.

‘I don’t mind people making mistakes. We all make mistakes. But I think when you make a mistake you got to own up to it and say, hey, we’re trying to do better here, and this is how we’re going to do it.

‘I just think there has to be some reconciliation between it being a member organization where the leadership is representing the membership, and then decisions are being made without the players knowing about these decisions, or even having the information present. I think there has to be some transparency.’

Monahan (pictured) has received the backing of both Thomas and Rory McIlroy

Monahan (pictured) has received the backing of both Thomas and Rory McIlroy

Hovland’s criticisms came in a week when Xander Schauffele disclosed the lack of ‘trust’ the PGA Tour golfers feel in Monahan. Rory McIlroy has since given the commissioner his backing – a stance shared by Thomas, who said: ‘I think Jay’s just a part of the huge group of people that has been pushing for all the changes and progress that the Tour’s been making.

‘So I’ve been pleased with all the latest stuff that’s been happening and been going on, and Jay’s been a part of that group, so I think this is a lot bigger than one person sitting there and making all the decisions.’

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