Justin Thomas to make PGA Tour return at Arnold Palmer Invitational

Field Level Media|published: Tue 24th February, 12:12 2026

[US, Mexico & Canada customers only] Sep 28, 2025; Bethpage, New York, USA; Team USA's Justin Thomas celebrates after winning the hole on the 12th hole during the singles on the final day of competition for the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Mcdermid-Reuters via Imagn Images

Justin Thomas is ready to return to competition on the golf course after spending the past three months recovering from back surgery.

After competing in the Atlanta Drive's first of two TGL matches on Monday, Thomas quickly turned his attention to the PGA Tour's Arnold Palmer Invitational.

"I'm excited to get back and play Bay Hill next week," the two-time PGA Championship winner said.

That said, Thomas knows it may take a bit of time before he returns to form.

"Obviously, I would love to play well next week, but I'm also understanding that it'll be almost five, six months since I played a competitive tournament," Thomas added.

"So I'm not exactly expecting anything great, but at least everybody else will be struggling with me at Bay Hill. So that'll make me feel a little bit better."

Thomas, 32, hasn't played competitively since the Ryder Cup in September. He underwent the procedure in November to address a disc issue that he said had caused "nagging hip pain" for months.

A 16-time PGA Tour winner, Thomas finished seventh in the FedEx Cup standings in 2025 after recording eight top-10 finishes, including winning the RBC Heritage in a playoff.

--Field Level Media

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