Whatever happens, this is going to be a big week in the life of Thriston Lawrence. Maybe even the biggest.
When the DP World Tour Championship tees on Thursday, no one in the 50-strong field will have more to play for than Lawrence. The only man who can possibly thwart Rory McIlroy’s quest for a sixth Race to Dubai title (he must win this week and see the Northern Irishman finish lower than 11th), the 27-year old South African leads the race for the 10 PGA Tour cards on offer Sunday evening. Should he fend off all challenges and remain best of the 10, he will be free to play in just about every PGA Tour event next year. “Life-changing” hardly does justice to the potential held by the next few days.
So who is the man who is already the greatest-ever Thriston in the history of golf? The name was favoured by Lawrence’s father, taken from a movie, the title of which his son cannot recall. And the aggressive style of play built around a predominantly left-to-right ball-flight has made him a winner at every stage of his career. Twice South African Amateur champion, Lawrence’s resume includes victories on the 2015 MENA Tour, the 2016 Challenge Tour, the 2018 Big Easy Tour and the 2019-20 Sunshine Tour in his homeland (when he topped the money list). Not incidentally, he was the 2022 “Rookie of the Year” on the DP World Tour, where he has won four times.
“Thriston is a really solid player,” says former European Ryder Cup captain, Paul McGinley, who played alongside Lawrence in this year’s Irish Open pro-am. “There is no weakness in his game. He’s a really good putter, whose confidence level is rising every year. He shapes everything left-to-right, but he proved in the Open this year that he can perform in any conditions. The back-nine at Royal Troon played into a strong left-to-right wind and he still played beautifully. He’s a guy who has made steady progress, which is the best way to get better.”
This season Lawrence has confirmed that consistent improvement. There haven’t been any victories, but five runners-up finishes dot his record, as well as fourth place in the Open Championship. Only three shots separated him from Xander Schauffele, the “champion golfer of the year.”
“I played with Thriston at the Open, where he impressed me with how aggressive he is,” says BMW PGA champion, Billy Horschel. “He’s a terrific ball-striker, especially with the irons. I can see him doing really well on the PGA Tour. Like just about anyone, it is in the short game where he will need to improve most. Very few players arrive with a PGA Tour-quality short game. But it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see him win. He is not scared by the moment. I saw that at Troon. I expect him to have a good season and be a real contender for rookie of the year.”
All of which only begins to describe a man who sees himself as a “feel” player, one for whom the technicalities of golf are, while not quite a mystery, something for others to worry about.
“There is no stage fright in Thriston,” confirms renowned swing coach, Pete Cowen. “And he’s long enough that I think he will do well on the PGA Tour. To create good technique, you need good feel. Seve (Ballesteros) was the same way. The only downside is that the feel player is inevitably less consistent.”
Refreshingly, none of the above bothers Lawrence even a little bit.
“My caddie can sometimes find it tough trying to give me a club because sometimes I just see the shot and know what I want to hit, or I will go back 10 years and think about a time I hit a similar shot,” says Lawrence. “I’ve always been unorthodox and played the game by feel, and I don’t really care what other people think of that. I’m happy doing things my way.”
Clearly this is someone who has figured out how to bring out the best in himself, which does not involve long sessions on the range (Cowen was the fourth coach consulted for this story; none of the first three could recall seeing the burly South African hit balls for more than a few minutes).
“I’ve never been a technical guy on the course,” confirms Lawrence. “Even more so on the range. When I’m there it is all about getting loose. I grew up playing a lot of golf and that emphasis introduced me to shot-making. I don’t feel like anyone can teach you how to do that. You have to create it for yourself on the course. For me, every shot is different. I always have to get comfortable and ‘see’ the shot before I hit it. There is no certain way to be perfect, something I realised a long time ago.
“If you are technical and having a bad day it can be disastrous,” he continues. “Because that is the only route to success you know. If Plan A doesn’t work you are stuffed. My way is more flexible. If my fade is not working on a given day, I can easily change to a draw and make that happen. I’ve had days where my game has felt off, but I know I can hit any shot in the book. So there is always a way.”
Perhaps the most commendable aspect of Lawrence’s play this year has been his positive reaction to crushing disappointment exactly 12 months ago. Needing a solo fifth place in the season-ending on the 2023 DP World Tour to gain “promotion” to the PGA Tour, he finished in a three-way tie for fifth. In other words, he came up one-shot short.
“Knowing I already have my card this time round is a great feeling,” he says. “Chasing Rory is another great goal for me, especially as I am the only one who can pass him. Getting the number one card is even bigger though. That has been my main target all year, to be honest. Next year I know my life is going to change. But it has been always been an ambition of mine to play in America. I can’t wait.”
