Parents play a vital role in one’s life; especially fathers who act as guides. Justin Thomas and his father, Mike Thomas, exemplify how a father can mold his son into an outstanding golfer. The father of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson were also on the list of fathers who devoted their lives to the making of their sons.
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Similarly, Mike is the significant person who helped Justin hone his golfing skills. Mike is a PGA teaching professional at Harmony Landing Country Club in Goshen, Kentucky. The father-son relationship has been beautiful and uplifting. In an interview in 2020, the 63-year-old coach revealed how his teachings and early morning practices had made Justin one of the finest golfers.
How did Mike turn his son Justin Thomas into an outstanding golfer?
In the interview, Mike talked about how he had taught Justin to play golf since childhood. They played together at 7 pm when Justin was eight years old. Walking down memory lane, Mike said, “It would be seven at night, and we’d play three holes and we’d gamble. If he was 8 years old we’d play for a dollar, and I was giving him s*** and he was giving me s***.” The best part was that the PGA golfer used to enjoy this time.
Read More- Justin Thomas’ Memorable 6th Birthday Is an Anecdote Worth Revisiting
The pro-golfer and his father were friends before anything else. Mike did not care much about golf then. He did not focus on making his son a golfer, but he promised himself that he would become friends with his son. Mike would be a father whenever required, but friendship was his priority. “I didn’t care whether he played golf or not; I just made an oath to myself that I’m going to be his friend, not his father,” said the father of former number one. They used to goof around, play cards and have lots of fun together.
The technique of being a friend and teaching golf worked well for the PGA golfer. Justin won five PGA Tour events and the FedEx Cup championship in 2017, which proves how good his childhood training was. Mike always supported his son by cheering him up and supporting him at most events. According to him, it’s a pleasure for any father to watch their children succeed with passion.
Thomas gave a fitting reply.
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In 2020, Mike was snapping a picture of his son during his swing at the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio. Golf Digest shared the picture of Mike taking photos and captioned it, “JT’s dad knows it’s all about the angles.”
Some people’s comments took things to a different level and called Justin a ‘trust fund baby.’ They also mentioned that the PGA Championship winner’s daddy ran a country club and taught him how to swing. The pro replied, “My dad did run a country club and is a great teacher, but still probably couldn’t help you break 90.”
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Watch this story- Justin Thomas Reacts to Achieving a PGA Tour Milestone Alongside Rickie Fowler
What do you think about Mike’s teaching techniques and Justin’s golfing skills? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.
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