During the introduction of Justin Thomas before a press conference at Augusta National Golf Club on Tuesday, the moderator noted the former Alabama All-American’s 57 birdies and eagles were tied for the most over the past three Masters.

Thomas opened his comments by saying: “Sounds like I need to make a lot less bogeys and doubles from that stat you just gave me.”

For Thomas, the scoring statistics haven’t yielded what he wants – a Masters victory. In those three tournaments, Thomas finished fourth in 2020, tied for 21st in 2021 and tied for eighth in 2022.

“If I had to put a finger on it,” Thomas said, “in the past I would say there are times I’m between clubs or it’s a longer hole or maybe it’s a hole like 7 where I get it out of the position off the tee and I’m just making it a little too hard on myself to make pars. Maybe I’m trying to force the issue and squeeze a 4-, 5-, 6-iron in there if I’m in between clubs, challenging a pin. I don’t need to.

“I’m glad I heard that. Hopefully that will help me for the week.”

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Thomas is a two-time major champion, with victories in the PGA Championship in 2017 and 2022. And he wants to add a win at the Masters to his list of career accomplishments, of course. But this year, he’s trying not to want it too much.

“I know I personally can definitely want something too much,” Thomas said. “I’ve wanted to win this tournament too much in the past. I’ve wanted to be No. 1 in the world too badly. I’ve wanted to win golf tournaments too badly.

‘It’s a fine line. It’s like anything. It’s a learning experience and a learning process. I think I’m starting to learn a little bit more. I would much prefer be No. 1 in the world and be winning every tournament I’m playing in and not having to figure it out the tough way. But you know, there’s a lot of good that can come out of some negative experiences if you choose to look at it that way.

“I feel like in the past, especially in this tournament, I’ve come in here just like kind of so tense and so just like, ‘Oh, I’m geared up, and I’m ready to go,’ like I’m going to tear this place up. And it’s just as soon as one thing goes wrong, it’s just, I mean, my mind is in a blender. It’s like, ‘Well, I didn’t think I was going to do it over here. I thought I was going to hit over here,’ vice versa, so on, so forth. Next thing you know, you shoot 73, 74 the first day, like I’ve done a handful of times, and you’re just playing catch-up.

“It’s just more trusting in yourself and just believing that things will fall into place and things will happen, as opposed to — it’s one thing to try to make things happen when you have four or five holes left in the golf tournament and you’re two or three shots back. I think that’s a very different animal than trying to win the tournament on the first nine of the first day, if that makes sense.

“Yeah, I definitely think that you can want things too bad and try too hard.”

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Thomas will tee off in the first round of the 87th Masters at 9:42 a.m. CDT Thursday in the threesome that includes Jon Rahm and Cameron Young.

“I always love coming here,” Thomas said. “I think it’s a wonderful, just an unbelievable atmosphere and event.

“Obviously, the golf course, it is what it is. It’s right in front of us. And, yeah, it is one of those places that the more you play it, the better I feel like you get to know it, and I feel like I have a pretty good — really good — idea of how to play it. And at that point, it’s just about going out and executing and hitting the shots when you need to and making the putts.”

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.