The goal was to have fun! It was an agreement that both Justin and his father, Mike Thomas, agreed upon regarding their golf lessons. That’s right, a father-son PGA Tour duo—a pair that has never disappointed fans. But right before the 2023 Ryder Cup, some controversy arose about him and his father splitting. Was it true? Does that mean Mike Thomas is no longer instructing his son, Justin? Let us dive deep to find out.

No, certainly not instructions. Mike Thomas has previously stated that the golf sessions between him and his sons are not in the form of instructions but fun. And despite the rumors from last season, Mike and Justin Thomas are still working together. The former World No. 1 Justin Thomas belongs to a golf family; his father has always been a coach at the Harmony Landing Country Club in Goshen, Kentucky, a job he joined in 1990, and JT’s grandfather, Paul Thomas, who was also a professional who made appearances at the 1962 U.S. Open and the 1983 US Senior Open.

When the rumors about Mike and Justin splitting went viral, Mike Thomas could only laugh about it. He suggested, “You’re kidding. That’s just stupid.” The father of a 15-time PGA Tour winner also stated that it is a work of media. He informed me, “That’s what some people in the media do. It’s ridiculous. I just left Justin. We worked all morning.” But that is not all Justin Thomas‘s father had to say.

The former professional golfer also insinuated that if they were ever to split, there should not be any issue with that either. According to Golf Digest, he remarked, “But, listen, if he did fire me and it was for the better, then what’s the problem? I guess they have to have something to talk about.”

Talking about in what capacity his dad is part of his team, the golfer said, “My dad came out a handful of times a year, more so because he was working. But he can come out any and all as he wants as a dad, but there’s just going to be some weeks where if things are good, I don’t necessarily need a coach, and I think that’s more of just where I want things.”

Has JT had other coaches as well to help in his career so far? After all, the PGA Tour pro has always been the kid who has been hitting “very solid at a young age. He was extremely driven,” as per his father.

Who has helped Justin Thomas reach so far in the PGA Tour?

It is no lie that the young Thomas was greatly influenced by his father and grandfather. This father-son duo, who are more like buddies, has been working together on the golfer’s swing since he was little.  For other skills such as putting, and chipping, Justin Thomas has received guidance from others. This list also includes John Graham, a Class A member of the PGA of America.

According to Bunkered, Justin Thomas has been working with John Graham, precisely for his putting, since 2020. However, the duo split up after Thomas decided to stop getting instructions from Graham after he had taken the Aim Point approach to putting. Several rumors also circulated about how Thomas dumped John Graham as his coach because he did not make a cut in the 2023 British Open.

Talking about his split with Graham, JT said, “We had gotten to a point where everything was fundamentally or mechanically or on the putting green was as good as it could get. Basically, what I told him was he can’t go out and make the putts for me, I have to figure that out, and that’s something only I can do.”

Thomas has also worked with Tiger Woods’s putting coach, Matt Killen. Both of these coaches helped Thomas with his flat stick. In 2019, Thomas gave feedback about Killen. He said, “He’s good at saying things in different ways.” The PGA Tour golfer then further added, “He can dumb it down for you as much as you want or get as technical as you want to try and help out.”

Do you think a golfer can grow better if he has someone as close as his father as his coach? Let us know in the comments below.