If there’s one thing Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth have in common right now, it’s that they’re both itching to break free from their three-year winless droughts. They’ve had flashes of brilliance in several tournaments, but the results? A mixed bag. Given their long history together, when they’re paired up, you can expect some sparks—both friendly and competitive.

Saturday at the Valspar Championship was one of those days. Playing together in a two-ball for the third straight round—a rare occurrence since the 2018 Players Championship—Thomas and Spieth delivered solid performances. Thomas carded an impressive 6-under-par 65, catapulting him 48 spots up the leaderboard to a tie for fifth place at 5-under-par, and Spieth shot a commendable 4-under-par 67, moving him into a tie for 17th at 3-under-par. ​

​When asked if it felt like a head-to-head battle, Thomas couldn’t help but drop a candid and humorous confession. “I think both of us would probably be lying if we said no. I mean, he got it going,” Thomas admitted, before cheekily adding that it wouldn’t hurt if 2025 U.S. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley was paying attention. “Hopefully, Keegan was watching,” he said. 

Thomas and Spieth have been comfortable playing alongside each other for years, from their junior golf days to now competing at the highest level. Their camaraderie was evident once again as Thomas reflected on how much he enjoyed sharing the course with Spieth.

“We obviously enjoy each other’s company and have played and are comfortable playing with each other and played a lot of golf together,” Thomas said. “But definitely makes it a lot better when you’re out a little earlier than you would like on a Saturday morning, but you can kind of get the crowd into it. And we made a couple putts there on 4 and then he made a long one there on 7 and it seemed like that kind of got the crowd going and that’s fun for us.” ​

Spieth, however, had a slightly different take when asked if it felt like a match-play scenario.​ “Not really. I didn’t feel that way,” Spieth initially claimed. But then he quickly admitted, “I always want to—at the end, I wanted to get to where I was tied with him so we could just play again tomorrow. But we always want to beat each other when we’re playing with each other, and that pushes us to play better.” ​

Spieth acknowledged that Thomas was in a much better position heading into Sunday. “Being at 5-under, like he is, you probably have a pretty good chance at this golf tournament, considering he could go shoot another 6-under tomorrow and then have a chance to win. For me, I’m a little bit further behind.”

Sure, they’re trying to outplay each other, but we all know that their banter and on-course camaraderie make it feel more like a friendly showdown than a cutthroat battle. At the end of the day, their bond runs way deeper than just the leaderboard.

A friendship built on competition and respect

Thomas and Spieth have been competing since their junior golf days, carried that rivalry into college—Spieth at Texas, Thomas at Alabama—and now, they’re still pushing each other on the PGA Tour.

But it’s not just about the competition. Their friendship has been just as big a part of their journey. Need proof? When Thomas got married in 2022, there was no doubt about who’d be standing next to him as his best man—Jordan Spieth.

They might be rivals every time they tee it up, but at the end of the day, their connection is built on years of mutual respect and shared history. And whether they admit it or not, their back-and-forth is exactly what makes them both better.