The one thing Justin Thomas is focused on ahead of his return to the PGA Tour after back surgery in November

Justin Thomas’ return to competitive golf on Monday after undergoing microdiscectomy surgery in November didn’t get off to the most auspicious start. Playing for defending champion Atlanta Drive in a TGL match versus Boston Common at the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, the 16-time PGA Tour winner airmailed a green with an iron in his first live swing, leaving his ball in a back bunker. Not long after, he yanked another iron left into a penalty area, costing his team a hole.

All’s well that ends well, though, as Atlanta pulled out the victory over Boston to take the lead in the TGL standings. And Thomas, who made the victory-clinching putt, walked away happy enough to announce he would be making his return to the PGA Tour at next week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational.

“I’m excited to get back and play Bay Hill next week,” he said.

Thomas played at the Ryder Cup in September, with his last PGA Tour start coming at the Procore Championship that month as well. He then underwent the procedure to address an issue with a disc in his back that he said was causing “nagging hip pain” that said he had been suffering from for several months.

The two-time PGA Championship winner acknowledged his rust after Monday’s match. “It was not very good on my end. I think it took me a little bit to get in a rhythm and kind of get comfortable,” Thomas said. “All last year I kept trying to hit a cut and I just couldn’t hit a cut, so I just started to basically play a pull hook.”

But there was also some reasons for Thomas to be upbeat as he plays a bit of catch-up in preparation for a busy part of the schedule that includes the Players Championship and the Masters in the next five weeks. Thomas’ first swing with a driver during the match went 311 yards according to the simulator with a ball speed of 177 m.p.h. Later on, he got up to 180 m.p.h. ball speed.

“It’s pretty close to normal,” Thomas said. “The rehab has been good. I’ve been, I guess, kind of fully cleared or back to normal, whatever that is, for around three-and-a-half-ish weeks. So it’s really just been about getting used to playing more.”

While feeling more and more like his old self, Thomas acknowledged he’ll need to be diligent in the coming months to make sure he doesn’t push too quickly as the 32-year-old tries to make up for lost time.

“I have to do the little things and stay on top of it, and playing injury-free is my main goal and always has been," he said. "And it was unfortunate, but it is what it is, and I’m just gonna make the best out of it and do the right things.”

Part of that includes managing expectations. In returning to the tour at a signature event on a challenging course in Bay Hill Club and Lodge in Orlando, Thomas knows he would be facing a difficult test regardless of his health.

"So just trying to play, get out there as often as I can, different winds, different grasses, different lies, different scenarios,” Thomas said. “Obviously 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. 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.”