Before the final round of the Hero World Challenge, Justin Thomas is unexpectedly close to a comeback victory. But there is a factor complicating his emotions with only 18 holes left to play.

Thomas shot a six-under 66 in the third round Saturday in Albany to overtake world number one Scottie Scheffler and take the lead. If he holds on for victory, it would be his first victory in over two years, dating back to the 2022 PGA Championship.

Even though the Hero is not an official PGA Tour event, the victory would be a major comeback for the star who has struggled on the course for years, and a great sign for the future in 2025.

But a few weeks ago, something even bigger happened in Thomas’ life: he became a father for the first time.

Thomas and his wife Jillian welcomed their daughter Molly into the world in mid-November. This was Thomas’ first time playing in a tournament as a father. It is also the first time since birth that he has been separated from his wife and daughter for a long period of time.

Faced with that reality, mixed emotions swirled through his mind this week as he described the push and pull between missing his family and trying to win a tournament as a “strange combination” in his Saturday night press conference.

“There were a lot of things going through my mind, but trying to play as well as I can and missing my girls at home is a strange thing – it’s a strange combination,” Thomas explained. “Obviously I’ve never experienced this before, but I’m looking forward to having the chance to win tomorrow and coming home to see it tomorrow.”

Thomas also revealed that a win on Sunday would mark a surprising first in his career for the Tour veteran: the first time his friend Tiger Woods has presented him with a trophy.

“That would be great,” Thomas said of the chance Tiger would present him with the Hero hardware. “I’ve had a few opportunities in the past, but this is definitely something I’d like to tick off at some point in my career.”

This week, Thomas has shown undeniable improvement compared to the start of this season. He switched to a longer 46-inch driver shaft and claims he gained 15 yards off the tee as a result. Win or lose, he admitted Saturday that the progress he has worked hard to make is finally bearing fruit.

“I’ve made good progress and worked on the right things. “I feel like I’m seeing signs of improvement, that’s what you want and that’s all I can do,” Thomas said. “I can’t control everyone else or what’s happening, I just have to keep playing as best as I can and hope it’s enough on Sunday.”