Justin Thomas Tuesday Press Conference 2023 THE PLAYERS Championship © PGA Tour

Hello everyone, we'll go ahead and start with our 2021 Player Champion, Justin Thomas, here in the media center. Justin just started thinking about returning to TPC Sawgrass, of course, which you feel comfortable with and where you've obviously had success. the past, yeah, I always love being here, it's a special week, it's um, you know, it's our

championship

, it's our

tour

nament and the course is always in um, you know, impeccable condition, um, you know, especially in March, it's very, very green and kind of con

tour

s. from the streets and the rough, you know, everything looks perfect, so it's a place I look forward to coming to every year.

It's a golf course that I think is extremely well designed and I always enjoy playing it and I guess up to that point. I mean, why do you think you know this design and this design seems to stand out? It's just a really solid test on tour compared to others. Yes, I think it's unique. You know, I think you stick to everything. Call it that. number one um and it doesn't really look like anything special or anything crazy, but it's a tee shot that clearly doesn't require but it calls for a left to right ball flight off the tee and then the green asks for a right to left ball flight. uh on the green there's a lot of holes like that that number two is the same way you know it's asking for a draw on a t and then the green is set up for a fade on the green and it really requires a lot of different types of shots and a lot of creativity something you know, I think that's one of my strengths, perfect, sure, we'll go ahead and open ourselves to questions, raise your hand, we'll give you a microphone and you'll start over here Gene.

Justin, I talked to Ricky yesterday and he was talking about how you and Jordan have been like sounding boards for him while he was going through his really tough stretch and now he seems to be making a comeback. Could he just share at least in general what you were able to tell them or help him get through this rough patch. um it's not as much as you'd probably think and it's actually just I mean you know he's one of my best friends it has nothing to do with oh you know it's Ricky Fowler you know he is who he is and I do it for Well, obviously I wanted to play better, but I just want to be there as a friend. and and um, I think sometimes it's the kind of thing where the man in you doesn't necessarily want to ask your friends for help, you know what I'm saying, it's just, it's not a cool thing to do, but I mean.

I've been there, I've talked to different friends, whether it's about golf-specific topics or thought processes, whatever, and what I tell Rick is that I'm like a friend, you know, if you ever need or want something, I mean. I'm here as much as you want or as little as you want and you know he said to ask some things from time to time, but it was more just helping them and whenever I could because this is, uh, sometimes it can even be a lonely game. with your family, wife, girlfriend, whatever you're on tour with, it's still lonely when you're there between your ears, so we're all really happy to see that it's playing well as a follow-up to that, what's it about?

Do you know how much you would think it would elevate PGA Tour golf to see Rickie Fowler back in the Winner's Circle? He would be great, I mean, he's clearly trending that way, I mean, he's playing really good, really solid golf. Constant golf and I mean, I can tell from playing practice rounds with them or playing with them at home, he's just a different person, he's got a lot more swagger, a lot more confidence, his expectations are different and it's funny, what a couple. tournaments or you know, maybe one particular shot here a week here and there is enough, and I think yeah, he's definitely in that group of people that is good for the game of golf when he plays well.

If I may ask one more thing, why? Ricky resonates so differently with fans than the standard Elite golfer. I mean, he gives more than anyone else. I would say you know he's more relatable. He probably spends more time, whether it's signing or having fan experiences. You know, he's always been very active on social media or definitely more, so you know, before family, I would say, but he basically gives more effort, I would say, and so you know that's the reason why which I think is one. one of the most loved ones here, right here, hey Justin, do you have a favorite hole here or one that you're especially comfortable with?

And on the other side, a hole that seems very challenging to you. 18 is really tough, I mean today it's on and from the left there's nothing more uncomfortable than that tee shot when it's like that and then when you hit it from the left in May it was firm enough that you could burn something out there and maybe hit an iron, but it's hard to hit less than the driver and have less than a five iron end when it's soft like this um, but there's a lot of great holes here. I really like the 13. I think it's a very clever and cool little pair. three, the wind can turn again in that little tunnel almost where the t is, but you can do it if you hit a good tee shot, if you get it in the right section of where the pin is, you can have a very attractive birdie. but you can also make four or five in the blink of an eye, so I think that's especially where it is on the course, it's a pretty pivotal hole, okay, let's go to Kathy and then right behind You, Justin, your father has obviously been very influential in teaching you how to play golf and from that experience, do you feel like you have additional knowledge to help someone else with their golf game?

Me personally, yeah, um, no, I don't think so. I'm a terrible coach. Like I'm not, uh, I'm very good at the basics, you know, playing with amateurs and seeing that you know they get over it and I can give them something to help with that, but I'm when it gets to this level of

players

um, I'm not. very good at training, I'm not a technician, but I'm not a coach either, so I'm not supposed to be, but the way things just resonate or work in my heads are very feeling-oriented and very specific to me, so the things I may feel, see or think may not resonate with another person on tour or another quality player, so to answer your question, no I don't think so, what is that Ricky just asked ? ask them for advice because they are friends.

I would say yeah, it wasn't necessarily any technical thinking, it's just being there for a friend and yeah, I mean, a lot of it is just being there to talk or being there. to vent or whatever you know, whatever it is, look ready, hello, I'm multi from Bloomberg News. I'm just wondering about the fight live and at PJ golf Anna Trust and wondering what it really means for the fate of PGA

players

, you know? I know you talked about the challenges here in terms of wind conditions, all that, but is that something that you know PGA players are thinking about in the back of their minds in terms of this antitrust fight going on in the background while uh?

You know, all these golf games are happening now. I'm not really wasting my time thinking about it, but in terms of what that fight means for the fate of the players because it will affect, you know, the PGs, we've seen what happened. Say, for example, in baseball or basketball, where coats sometimes change the course of the week, a certain sports business operates, so yes, in that sense, do you pay attention to some of the legal issues because it seems that could affect the fate of players and the future of players I definitely don't doubt that it is a big impact and it is very important, but I am not smart enough to get involved in any of that and that is not my job for you.

I know I get paid to do something like that. I'm just trying to play golf the best I can and you know let the legal system go from there. Understood. Thank you. Mr. Thomas, can you explain both March dates to me? and perhaps which of the dates is more favorable for you and your type of goals. Is there a key difference between playing the course, say March with reception or May and which favors your type of golf more? Thanks, to be completely honest, I would like the course much more in May than in March. I won in March, so I really like March too.

I mean, I never dislike him. I just always enjoy a firmer, faster course and I think this. The course gets a lot more challenging, especially off the T. You know, losing the fairway is it's totally different, it was Bermuda in May and it's supervised this time of year, so it's literally two different types of courses. Golf. Do you know where we are going? to get some mud balls, you know what ball you can if you have the right wind, you know you can hold four or five irons on greens and then in May, you know you're going to have times where you're going to have seven, eight, nine irons. and it's really hard to keep the green, so you have to do it.

I'd say you have a lot more options off the T in May because of how firm he plays off the tee. Now there are a lot of drivers in three woods and they only hit the fairway. and staying out of the long and difficult stuff, Sean will be here on the way, here Justin, you're leading the way through the won tents around the green. It may be a bit of a fortuitous step, but do you feel like it? have you seen any improvement in your short game or is it maybe just making some putts from The Fringe that counts there um, I've definitely seen some improvement in my short game, I mean, it's like that, it's like that.

At the beginning of the season I feel like all the stats are a little bit skewed, you know what I mean, you know you have something bad or a bad tournament, call it and then you could be way behind for a couple of weeks. and it's the same with chipping or putting or whatever, if you have a great week it can be a stepping stone to where you are, but I also feel like chipping is a strength in my game and I've been working hard on it, more well like the basic tips that I've had trouble with so it's been I would say a work in progress and I've seen some improvements and making putts when French helps too yeah Doug um.

I'm trying to think how to ask this, but this has always been so well known as the strongest and deepest field of the year, etc., just in recent memory, how do you distinguish between which is harder to win between this week and next? last week? As we move forward, you know, the more you get together at these big elevated big course events, Riv Bay Hill, whatever you lose, it's kind of a separation, it's a good question, I don't think I'll do it, I think because I mean, one could argue that, um, I mean, the Masters is still, I think, more difficult to win this tournament.

You know, it's harder to win the Masters than this tournament, but this field is stronger than the Masters, but it's because of the Masters and it's. because of the history that it has because what comes with it there is everything else that adds up and makes it more difficult and I think they think that this tournament is more difficult to win than last week because of the way the fields are organized . I think it's hard to play well and make a lot of birdies in a place like last week versus here, but that being said, you might as well match it to the death and add a couple of birdies.

I mean, I talked to Scotty Shuffler about it. Yesterday I thought, "I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but I had no idea you had a chance to win the golf tournament like I played the first two days. He was playing well, but I just remembered." Obviously he was looking at the leaderboards and I never really saw his name and then all of a sudden we were on the 17th green and I looked and I thought Scotty was either behind or at the top of the lead, where the hell did he come from? and that's the kind of thing that can happen in a place like last week.

I have no idea if this answers any of your questions, but no, I don't think I'm going to lose. What did you say about this? tournament is separation I don't think this tournament will lose that separation bigger events You've won, whether it's Saint Memphis or Madonna or whatever, what was the level of

press

ure you felt here compared to there and you had already won a major when you won here , so we're not going to count, it's just different, no, it's, um, you're, I'm, I'm a little bit, you know, I don't want to say shaky, you know, kind of nervous. it's just that you have butterflies, it's just that you know it's a little hard to keep your hands stable, it's just that I don't know, I mean, sometimes you get that on a random shot, the first shot of the tournament or a Ryder Cup or or you know , the weekend of a big tournament, but for me it's the nerves I had playing the last two holes here versus the last two holes and yeah, call it another tournament that I've won, it's different, I mean.

You have more nerves and it means more in this because it's a bigger tournament, but at the same time that's why you play and you want to be in those positions, so it's good to feel it. I guess we're going to go to Ann and then hey Justin, can you tell us about the new competitive model? What do you think about it and what has the PJ Tour done in the past year to make players happier? Yeah, I guess. gamers is a relative term uh I think we definitely know one person who's not super excited about it, but um, it's hard, it's hard, it's an extremely difficult thing, I think it's something to dive into and I know that Max did it.

Was it last week or a week ago?couple of weeks, there won't be any model that makes everyone happy, that's just a cold fact, um, but at the end of the day, when each of us signed up to play golf, you knew it. the better you play, the better tournaments you're going to play in and the worse you play, you might not even have a job anymore or you might be on a development tour or whatever and none of that is changing and I just think there's a kind of mentality of maybe some people who are upset about it okay, I want to look at that table or look at that tournament and say it's not fair, I can't play at that or not.

I mean: I want to be part of that table or I want to be part of that tournament and that's how we were all raised to think about golf: we want to play and practice and get to a point where we're playing in these majors and now playing in these elevated events against the best players in the world as often as possible and now we're developing, we've developed a model where that's happening and I mean, I just don't see how. Wouldn't it be better for everyone to know the fans, the sponsors, the communities, the charities that are out there, I mean, the players are going to bring out the best in us.

I just don't see how it's not better and it's It's going to put

press

ure on all of us and then create more opportunities for guys to be a part of that and also keep us competitive to want to stay in those events, Justin, but after the third round of the PGA last year, I guess Bones gave you a pep talk or maybe it was tough love, what have you got? I don't know how you would describe it, maybe you could, but why did that resonate so much and how long ago was that? it's important to choose your place to do that uh it's definitely important to choose your places.

I think caddies have a very very difficult job, sometimes you know that they are expected to say everything at the right time, but the moment they say something at the wrong time, a lot of guys rush to attack them or maybe get themselves upset and it's, um, it's really difficult and in that situation I mean, I think he just saw, he saw me, he saw my body language. He saw that I was feeling and looking defeated, which I felt that way, I felt like I had just blown a great opportunity to win a major

championship

and I mean, I was pretty angry and pretty upset, I mean, there's no reason why.

I would not do it. or it shouldn't be, and you know, I've just been playing really, really good golf for the last two months before and there was no reason to get into a headspace to think anything different, it was just round one. It was a bad day and actually, yes, it seemed like I had shot myself, but there was nothing we could do and I just had to stay positive and Bones did a great job of reminding me that we are still doing a great job. a lot of really good things, we just had a bad day, a lucky day, and we just go out and do the best we can tomorrow and see where it puts us and he definitely, you know, kind of talked me off the ledge a little bit because he was. pretty bummed, that's not as effective as if it had been from your dad because obviously he's your coach, he's telling you these things a lot, maybe sometimes they don't always think yes, fair point.

I'd say that because Bones is less likely to say anything. I mean, my dad will always be there and support me and, if I'm tough, he'll see me being tough on myself for you know, 29 years now, so it's uh, that's not a new song and dance for him, but Bones talks and is feeling much more comfortable doing so now. um, you know, I know it's because he comes from a good place, everything he does, but he just wants the best, I mean, we're on the same team here and we're trying to get the most out of all of us and myself, and you know he felt it was appropriate, we'll do a few more with Adam and here and then back. together Justin, did you attend the players meeting this morning?

Not me, is there anything that worries you with the changes that are coming? There's no next one, so come in, you'll play next week. He made you want to play when he's in the middle of this big swath of designated events. um, it's a place that I love. I really, really love the golf course. I just feel like I have a really good chance of winning there if I go. play and um I just don't feel that way about Austin Country Club there's nothing against the course. I only played it six times and I played it really badly on five of them, so um, I just felt like it was a better decision for me to go somewhere where I at least had some positivity and felt like I had a much better chance of winning than going to a big event, you know, a huge event and be the match, but knowing that.

I haven't been successful except, you know, I paid to call it a fluke team, but one year, uh, I didn't really want to take three weeks off before the Masters, so you know it's good, yeah, it's going to be. at the end of a long stretch, but I feel like you know being in Florida, not too far away in the time zone that you know I'm used to for most of the year and um, yeah, it's really, really. good golf course I think that's okay, I'm curious what you thought of your performance on the Netflix show and if you'll be involved in the future.

Yes, at least I know I'm signed up. second season, but yeah, I thought it was yeah, I thought it was good, I mean, it's just that you're never, it's probably never good to ask yourself, you know yourself how you thought you were portrayed just because you're always going to have things to be tough with yourself or like pointing out some things or oh, I wish they did this or you know, I wish they had done that or I wish I hadn't said this or I wish you knew what I say, it's hard, but I've heard a lot of good things from the outside or from some friends, so I guess that's good enough for me, we're good at just a tech question for you.

I know you use screams. um, this is product placement, but how and why did you start using that technology and what do you use it for? Probably four years ago, something like that, three or four years ago. Rory was the one who told me about this, as fun as it is, and I'm just someone who feels like if I can get some kind of advantage or if I can learn something, I'll want to do it and I felt like that was just kind of an area that I had. I don't really delve into myself in terms of the things that I do during the day or maybe in the afternoon or evening that might influence how I'm feeling, how I'm recovering and all that, and it's something that I enjoyed, you know? it becomes like a game when you first show up, or at least I know I was a little bit in love with it at first, you know, you wake up and I immediately look at it and you know, I know there's there's I've learned a million things from using it, some habits that I can do that will just help me feel better and recover better the next day, so that's something that I'm obviously going to spend a week on. like this or any other tournament, okay, I know I'm not going to eat a huge steak and dessert at 9:30 at night if I wake up at 5:30 a.m. m., but I would say that the majority of this room could I've told you without using a circle band, but there are also some little things in picking it up that I feel like I can use to my advantage and help me, it's anything in the course that you use as if you knew if you were on 12 to eat Augusta The First Tee, you know where your heart rate is, do you ever look at something like that?

I do. I actually did it last week a little bit just because I felt like I was in a really good mental space and very calm and I wanted to see if it would back it up and it did, and I would say the closest thing I'll do in terms of using it for tournaments is try to emulate it as much as I can in my practice. I try to put myself in situations that raise my heart rate remotely close to a tournament just to try to get used to that, but it's hard to do unless you're in the moment.

Thanks, we'll go a couple more here guys. go Gary left Justin, do you remember the first time you played a round of golf? What was the circumstance? Do you remember your first impressions and maybe how you played or something that stands out from that round? I don't remember my first round oh no it would have been the junior players uh yeah the junior players I played here I have no idea how many holes I played which nine I play anything but I just remember that I liked the golf course immediately when I came here, so, that's unfortunately all I have for you, okay, KP, just to the right, Justin, um, so the Q school this fall will be presenting five cards and ties for the top finishers and it will be here on the field of the Valley for half the time and you'll think something like that.

Compared to your time at Q School, how do you think taking care of the five Tour cards will influence the way players prepare an approach and the general atmosphere during that week at the final stage? I mean, I hope the preparation isn't too different. just because it's, I would say it's going to help a bunch of people because I just remember and you rarely go into a tournament trying to finish in the top 40. You know what I mean, so I think that's something I know. when kids coming out of college or something like that going to Q School would ask me for advice and I would tell them: just try to win the golf tournament because if you try to win the tournament and you don't, that's you.

Normally I'll be mad because you finished 30th, while 30th is good in this situation because you accomplished what you tried to do and that's get a card, so I think it will help some of the better players. I just know that Personally, like I said, I struggle with it, it was a very strange thing to go into a tournament trying to finish a certain position compared to all the tournaments I participate in. Yes, I feel better some weeks than others, but that's still my ultimate goal. to try to win that golf tournament, so I don't think it will change too much, you know, the preparation and we'll end with Mark right here, JT, when the tour announced the changes to the designated events last week. uh, Greg Norman tweeted I think it was an imitation, it's a more sincere form of flattery in your mind, what's the change, what's the difference between the designated events and what Liv is doing?

Well, we have an astronomically larger number of quality players than they have at their events, but uh no, it's very, yeah, it's extremely. I mean, I think all of us haven't been shy about saying it. You know, this is something we've been trying to do and working on, obviously, it's accelerated a lot. because of what was happening on the outside, but um, yeah, I mean, you could say it different ways, but it's no different than the wgcs where there's obviously more than them, more than the wgcs that there were, um and we still have your usual you. you know, cutting events, I don't know, I mean, if you're just going to select those events and make them just the events that we have, then yeah, it's extremely similar, but there's a lot more going on over the course of an entire year. the PGA tour and then just the elevated events, I would say Justin, thanks for the time, best of luck this week.