James Lang-Imagn Images
Many golfers decided to cap off a round by heading to the clubhouse for some beer. That’s the case with plenty of guys on the PGA Tour, including Justin Thomas, who revealed that decision almost backfired after he found himself staring down a potential playoff he didn’t think was in the cards when he wrapped up a tournament.
There are plenty of golfers who treat themselves to a steady stream of alcoholic beverages while they’re on the course, and a good chunk of them will keep the good times going after a round by heading to the “19th Hole,” the term that is commonly used to refer to the clubhouse bar.
Those watering holes offer a prime opportunity to unwind if you decide to abstain during your time on the links, which obviously tends to be the case with the golfers who make a living on the PGA Tour (John Daly, who asserts he would have had a better career if he’d played while intoxicated, says there was only a single occasion where he drank during a tournament round).
When you consider the stress those pros have to deal with, it’s hard to blame them for having a drink (or a few) after they hand in their scorecard. However, Justin Thomas almost regretted that decision during an event where he found himself dreading a potential playoff where he could have earned $800,000 more than he ended up taking home.
Justin Thomas almost had to compete in a playoff after catching a buzz at a tournament he didn’t think he’d be able to win
The 2016 Travelers Championship has a place in golf history as the tournament where Jim Furyk recorded the single lowest round in a PGA Tour event with the 58 he shot to close things out on Sunday. That overshadowed the impressive round Justin Thomas put together while capping things off with a 62, which sent him rocketing up the leaderboard t0 -12 after starting the day nine strokes behind the leader.
Both of those men were able to take advantage of the ideal conditions that dissipated when the wind started to pick up at PC River Highlands later in the day, although Thomas was under the impression that the golfers with later tee times would have that same advantage.
He shared just how confident he was about that being the case while reflecting on the tournament at the PGA Championship over the weekend, as Thomas recalled the lesson he learned about how to handle things when you find yourself in contention when you head to the clubhouse.
Justin Thomas was asked if there was an art to being the clubhouse leader.
“I can tell you how there isn’t, because it happened to me one time… Probably had four or five beers at lunch, and next thing you know… I’m still the leader in the clubhouse.” 😂 pic.twitter.com/1yPpaC5gHm
— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) May 17, 2026
He offered some advice on what you shouldn’t do in that situation, saying:
“The leaders were on the middle of the front nine. I had a buddy that was there watching me, we went in the clubhouse and probably had four or five beers at lunch.
The next thing you know, it’s two-and-a-half hours later and I’m still the leader in the clubhouse. The wind picked up like 15, 20 miles an hour and the leaders were on 15. Jimmy [Johnson] was caddying for me at the time, he’s at a Subway like an hour-and-a-half away, like ‘What do we do?’
I’ve never not wanted to be in a playoff before, but I kind of didn’t want to be in a playoff then. It wouldn’t have been a good situation.”
Russell Knox helped save the day, as he finished at -14 to finish in sole possession of first place to win $1,188,000. He was two strokes ahead of Thomas, who ultimately finished in a tie for third and took home $382,800.