Thomas satisfied despite back-nine wobble in St Louis | 2018

Protecting champion Justin Thomas left the course in a positive mood, however he moaned about his execution on the back nine at the US PGA Championship. Looking for consecutive titles, world number two Thomas opened his guard with a one-under-standard 69 in St Louis on Thursday.

Thomas appreciated a faultless front nine by birdieing three gaps however the American star missed twice following the turn without picking up strokes to be five shots unfastened of pioneer Gary Woodland. "I played well. Clearly, I'm not extremely satisfied with my back nine," Thomas – who won a week ago's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational – told journalists. "I've never had my ball wind up in another person's contribute check a fortification previously. That was a really horrendous break on my last opening. Could have taken a toll me maybe a couple strokes. "It's only terrible for somebody not to rake it, but rather what will be will be. "I played well on the front nine. Had some great openings on the back nine as well. Had a few putts that didn't exactly go in. Had a frightful lip on the sixteenth gap. Certainly significantly more positives to take the negatives, and I'm in a decent position for Thursday."

Thomas included: "I could have shot seven or eight under pretty effortlessly. It's much the same as some other fairway. I said that at my public interview.

"It's sufficiently delicate to where there will be some low numbers, yet in the event that you're not driving it well, the unpleasant is exceptionally troublesome and long to where it's difficult to influence birdies and spare to standard now and then."

Thomas was assembled with four-time champion Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy for the opening round at Bellerive Country Club. Woods – a 14-time real victor – recouped from a rough begin to post a 70, while Northern Irishman McIlroy finished the day close by the American awesome. "It's charming," Thomas said. "I'm stressed over what I'm doing, and he's stressed over what he's doing, and Rory is stressed over what he's doing.

"I've been sufficiently lucky to where I've played with him enough now that I don't - I would prefer not to state get wrapped up in it, however the principal couple times I possibly played somewhat more regard for what he's doing, yet now this is a PGA Championship, and I'm attempting to play as well as can be expected. I'm centered around what I'm doing."