As he prepares for his ninth Valspar Championship, Justin Thomas has officially weighed in to comment on the PGA Tour’s evolving changes. The former World No. 1 was candid when responding to the ongoing structural changes in the landscape of professional golf.
At the pre-tournament press conference at the Innisbrook Resort on March 18, Thomas responded to criticism over the possibility of expanding the Signature Events to 120 players.
“It is hard because I think it is balancing trying to, I mean, not reshape or completely change what the Tour looks like, but of tightening it up, if you will, or just making it more black and white, more right in front of you,” Thomas said.
This comes after PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp cited the 120-player field expansion as a goal at THE PLAYERS a week ago.
Justin Thomas said that defining the qualification criteria more precisely would increase transparency for players and the corporate sponsors who underwrite the prize.
He also admitted that “It’s hard for the PGA TOUR to go to these sponsors asking for, you know, a lot of money from them,” simply to expand the field.
However, the PGA Tour pro also showed faith. “I have a lot of faith in what Brian’s doing and, yeah, I think he’s very passionate about what he’s doing as well,” he added.
Justin Thomas on Earning His Way Back Into the Elite
The 32-year-old’s 7th-place finish at The Players came after a rough patch. In 2023, he finished outside the top 70. While his previous wins, like the 2022 PGA Championship, provided a safety net, he faced another challenge in 2025.
Thomas underwent back surgery (microdiscectomy) in November 2025, and his return to the top 10 this season hasn’t been easy.
“It was extremely stressful. But also, I am extremely proud of the fact that I, it was a big deal for me that I did not have to rely on one exemption that year. I played my way into all of them. That was a big goal of mine,” Thomas stated.
Shifting attention to the Copperhead Course, Justin Thomas hopes to break the streak with some much-deserved positive momentum.