article: Sergio Garcia set the tone with his astonishing Masters triumph in April, before Brooks Koepka made his breakthrough at the US Open and Jordan Spieth won The Open. With Thomas' victory, the past three majors have been won by Americans with an average age of 25. So what have we learned from the four biggest tournaments that define the men's game in 2017? The US regained the Ryder Cup last autumn and Europe must be relieved the next match is not this September. There is frightening strength in depth in the American game as Koepka, Spieth and now Thomas have proved. They all trail Dustin Johnson in the world rankings, the world number one's major season having been ruined by the injury he sustained in a freak fall on the eve of the Masters. Matt Kuchar was runner-up to Spieth at The Open, Rickie Fowler's fifth place at Quail Hollow was his second top five of the year in a major and Patrick Reed was joint runner-up in the US PGA. Furthermore, there is a unique chemistry and camaraderie among this generation of American players. Thomas and Fowler were waiting to congratulate Spieth at Royal Birkdale and The Open champion was among those who returned the compliment in Charlotte last Sunday. "We obviously all want to win," Thomas said. "We want to beat the other person - but if we can't win, we at least want to enjoy it with our friends. "I think that we'll all be able to enjoy this together and I know it's going to make them more hungry, just like it did me, for Jordan [at The Open]." As BBC Radio 5 live's Jay Townsend told listeners: "He basically threw away the whole year. If you are not fit, you can't compete." The strength in depth at the top of the game means that even with Rory McIlroy's incredible talent, he cannot keep up with the biggest names unless he is able to practise without physical hindrance. The 28-year-old Northern Irishman shared fourth at The Open - his best major performance of the year - but he was never genuinely in contention at Birkdale and, after finishing 22nd at Quail Hollow, he revealed he suffers back spasms following most rounds he plays. It means his time on the range has to be curtailed and he has still not fully recovered from the rib problem that has blighted his year. Now is the time to take a break. There is no Ryder Cup and he has the opportunity to fully recover before embarking on a vital season next year. The four-time major champion has not won one for three years, but given the freak ankle injury of 2015 and his current problems he has rarely been properly fit in that period. Justin Rose was second to Garcia at the Masters and Tommy Fleetwood came fourth at the US Open, but otherwise there was little to excite UK golf fans. Rose never recovered from the disappointment of his play-off loss to the popular Spaniard, while Fleetwood looks the best
summary: Justin Thomas' thrilling victory at the US PGA Championship brought down the curtain on a remarkable year in golf's majors.