MEXICO CITY – Justin Thomas’ game may as well have been conjured in a laboratory for Chapultepec Golf Club because Thomas checks all the boxes of what is needed to have success on the tree-lined, high-altitude layout.

Hits the ball a mile? Check.

Wedge game is all-world? Double check.

Aggressive? Triple check.

All of which explains why Thomas finished inside the top 10 in each of the first three years that this World Golf Championships event has been in Mexico City and now finds himself atop the leaderboard through three rounds.

“I feel like I've seen the greens pretty well when I've played here. I mean, when I'm driving it like I feel like I am, I can be very aggressive and take advantage of some holes where some people might not be able to,” said Thomas, who shot a second-round 65 Saturday for a one-stroke lead over Patrick Reed and Erik van Rooyen. “I just have a lot of wedges and short irons and chips into greens, so just have to try to take advantage of it.”

That wasn’t always the case, however. According to Thomas’ swing coach/father, Mike, it was rounds of 73-74 on Friday and Saturday last year in Mexico that prompted Thomas' aggressive game plan. Following rounds of 67-66-65 this week, Thomas continues to trend in the right direction.

“I really, really hope that that trend continues tomorrow,” he laughed.