Justin Thomas earned his first major title in 2017 when he won the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club. The former Alabama All-American and the PGA Championship have returned to the course in Charlotte, North Carolina, this week.

On Tuesday, Thomas said a lot had changed since he lifted the Wanamaker Trophy at Quail Hollow when asked if his previous victory in Charlotte gave him an edge when the 107th PGA Championship tees off on Thursday.

“It was eight years ago,” Thomas said. “It was a completely different golf course. It was Bermuda in August versus overseed in May. As much as I’d like to say yes, I think that’s a bit of a stretch. But the fact that I know the golf course and have had, I feel like, some success on it is definitely helpful.”

Of his 16 PGA Tour victories, Thomas has won on the same course twice three times – the CIMB Classic on the West Course at TCP Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, the Sentry Tournament of Champions on Plantation Course at Kapalua Resort in Hawaii and the CJ Cup at Nine Bridges Golf Club in South Korea.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to have success at courses multiple times in my career,” Thomas said. “I won a couple times at Kapalua, CIMB, CJ Cup, just at places where I feel like there’s something about it. I think if you’re able to get yourself in contention again — obviously it’s going to differ of who is there — but I will always be able to say if I’m coming down the stretch and trying to win the tournament, I can tell myself I’ve literally done this before here.

“I know it’s something that it’s kind of bizarre to — just saying something like that or something like that in your mind can be very helpful, but it is. I’ve hit the shots. I’ve made the putts. I’ve handled all of that mentally on this exact golf course in this exact tournament, so I think it’s something that can be helpful and able to fall back on if I need type thing.”

Thomas won the PGA Championship again in 2022, when the tournament was contested at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

That gave Thomas 15 victories in 181 tournaments since he became a full-time player on the PGA Tour. But he didn’t win another PGA Tour event until April 20, when he captured the RBC Heritage, breaking a 58-tournament winless streak.

Thomas said it got tough to watch his rivals and friends win tournaments

“I told (wife) Jill, after watching the Masters,” Thomas said. “It was like — of course, obviously, I knew I always wanted to win the Grand Slam, wanted to win all the majors — but for some reason watching somebody do it firsthand, it reminded me almost of: Damn, I forgot I really do want to do that.

“It’s weird. It’s something I think all of us — some certain people maybe hit us different ways in terms of jealousy or drive or whatever you want to call it. Yeah, any time someone wins that isn’t me — if it’s a friend, I’m obviously happy for them — but there’s always going to be a part of me that’s jealous and wishes it was me. I think you’d be crazy to say otherwise.”

This season, Thomas finished second at The American Express on Jan. 19 and the Valspar Championship on March 23. From the Valspar, Thomas finished tied for 33rd at the Masters, then broke his winless streak at the RBC Heritage on the Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head, South Carolina, before another second-place showing at the Truist Championship on Sunday at the Philadelphia Cricket Club.

The Truist Championship is usually played at Quail Hollow, but the tournament was moved this year as the course was prepared for this week’s PGA Championship.

“I’m just more patient, I’d say,” Thomas said of his surge. “I don’t feel like I’m forcing the issue as much. Just trying to trust my game and myself quite a bit more. I feel like some of the events maybe earlier this year or last year where I had a chance to win, I just felt like maybe I pressed a little too much.

“We all want to win, and I’m no different. I just think sometimes you’re in a better head space than others to try to capitalize or give yourself a chance. I feel like that’s kind of how it’s been the last couple of events.”

Playing with Dustin Johnson and Collin Morikawa, Thomas will tee off at 12:14 p.m. CDT Thursday and 6:49 a.m. Friday in the first two rounds of the PGA Championship.

Other players with Alabama golf roots in the PGA Championship field are Bud Cauley (Alabama), Jason Dufner (Auburn), Nick Dunlap (Spain Park, Alabama), Lee Hodges (Ardmore, UAB/Alabama), Patton Kizzire (Northridge, Auburn), Davis Riley (Alabama), Davis Thompson (Lee-Scott Academy) and Matt Wallace (Jacksonville State).

ESPN+ will televise the PGA Championship starting at 6 a.m. Thursday before ESPN joins the coverage at 11 a.m.

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