Justin Thomas has confessed to seeing “a new side” of golfing legend Tiger Woods since becoming a father.
Thomas, 31, and his wife Jillian are new parents, having welcomed their baby daughter Molly Grace on November 18, 2024. Despite the joyous arrival, the world of golf doesn’t pause, and Thomas still had an invitation to play with Woods, 48, at his ‘Hero World Challenge’ event in the Bahamas.
Thomas, who is partway through the tournament, shared how Woods has positively impacted his life and his family since the birth of his child. In addition to being a 15-time major winner, Woods is also a father to two children, Sam Alexis Woods and Charlie Axel Woods, the latter showing promise as a golfer himself. Before teeing off in the Bahamas, Thomas spoke about Woods’ recent influence.
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When asked how Woods has supported him during this new phase of life, Thomas said: “He’s been unbelievable. I mean, yeah. I’ve seen a new side of him. I mean, it’s just been really cool.
“He’s always checking in wanting to see how I’m doing, how Jill’s doing, how Molly’s doing. He knew when Jill’s surgery was and he called the night before asking how everybody’s doing.
“I hung up and I just looked at Jill and she said, ‘I bet you didn’t think that was going to happen when you were growing up’. I’m like, ‘No, I didn’t’.”
Thomas also added: “He loves his kids so much and he knows how special family is. He just knows even still being a competitor, like just the love you have for your children is so different. You don’t necessarily have to lose your competitive drive, and if anything it could get even more. It’s just about separating the two, but also just enjoying it and everything.”
With Woods successfully juggling the roles of a father and a golf legend over his career, he’s been in a prime position to offer sage advice to those walking a similar path. Woods and Thomas are also neighbors who both live in Jupiter, Florida.
Thomas further explained Woods’ influence when he said: “I think he’s just, you know, he’s been great in terms of – he’s like ‘No, you go spend time with your family, you do this’. When I just want to talk to him, he’s like ‘No, take all this in’, the special moments or whatever. So he’s been really, really cool during all of this.”
At the Hero Challenge, Thomas made a splash with an opening round 66, followed by a second-round 67, positioning him well on the leader board among top players like Scottie Scheffler, Akshay Bhatia, and Keegan Bradley.
But with Scheffler taking control and opening up a two shot lead, Thomas said: “You literally can birdie every hole as soft as the greens are. He’s a great player, a great wedge player, and you have a lot of birdie holes to start.
“I’m honestly surprised he only shot 8 under. It’s a sneaky course because if you fall asleep on some shots, you can get out of position. But if you’re on and focused and really in control of everything — like these last two days with no wind — you can just make so many birdies.”
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