Justin Thomas Unnecessarily Dragged as PGA Tour’s ‘Petty’ Treatment of Cam Smith Catches the Eyes of Golf Fans

Golf history should be pretty straightforward. Numbers don’t lie, and achievements on the course stand the test of time. At least, that’s what fans thought until controversial trivia question signage at this week’s PLAYERS Championship ignited a firestorm on social media, dragging Justin Thomas into a mess he never created.

The drama unfolded when a golf enthusiast shared a photo of a PGA Tour signage board at TPC Sawgrass displaying what seemed like an innocent trivia question: “Who are the only players to record 10 birdies in a round at TPC Sawgrass?” The multiple-choice options listed only two names—Justin Thomas and Colt Knost—with one glaring omission that golf fans immediately pounced on. The X post accompanying the photo was direct and accusatory: “We’re just rewriting history now?,” the user stated. Where was Cameron Smith, the 2022 Players Champion who famously carded 10 birdies in his final round en route to victory?

Most notably, Smith’s achievement was recorded under the most pressure during his victorious final round in 2022, where he showcased elite putting by one-putting eight of his final nine holes. Thomas did set a tournament record with 10 birdies during the third round of the 2015 Players Championship. His round included a mix of pars, birdies, and bogeys—just like Smith’s historic round. 

What makes this particular omission especially egregious is the statistical reality. The stats confirm that Justin Thomas (2015), Colt Knost (2016), Cameron Smith (2022), Tom Hoge (2023), and Rory McIlroy (2024) have all recorded 10 total birdies in a round at TPC Sawgrass, making Smith’s exclusion from the trivia options all the more puzzling. 

The controversial signage comes amid the backdrop of golf’s ongoing rift between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. Smith, who joined the Saudi-backed tour shortly after his PLAYERS Championship triumph, has become something of a ghost in PGA Tour promotional material ever since his defection. Is this latest incident a continuation of that trend? That’s up for discussion. The Tee Time page later wrote, maybe sarcastically, “Oh I see what happened. The question got cut off. It’s supposed to read “Who are the only players to record 10 birdies in a round at TPC Sawgrass and not win the tournament?””

The backlash has put Thomas in an unfortunate position, with his name being associated with a controversy he had no part in creating. The 15-time PGA Tour winner hasn’t commented on the situation, but being dragged into this is certainly not what any player wants while preparing for a tournament of major stature. Many fans took to X to vent their frustration or just plainly question the correctness of the question.

Fan reactions highlight growing frustration with golf’s divided landscape

“Yeah, that’s just a petty bad look,” wrote one fan, capturing the sentiment of many who viewed the omission as beneath the standards of the PGA Tour’s flagship event. Another fan wrote, “Embarassing for the @PGATOUR. They’re a shameless bunch.”

“Yeah, once they didn’t let him defend his title, the event became a sham. It’s lost all credibility and value. Honestl,y I don’t look at Scottie’s wins as carrying much weight now that 20 of the top 50 players aren’t there,” wrote another golf fan, highlighting how Smith was not allowed to defend his title because he had moved to LIV and was banned from competing in the Tour events. This cutting remark highlighted that Smith’s achievement came during his victory, while Thomas never converted his birdie barrage into a win, and how the field is just weaker now because many big players are competing in LIV.

The controversy even spawned references to another contentious moment in the PGA Tour-LIV Golf saga, with one fan demanding, “Give Cam his parking spot back.” This just reflects a fan’s opinion that Smith’s achievement should be recognized. Another comment simply asked the obvious question: “Why isn’t Cam Smith included on the list?” The directness cuts to the heart of the issue—there appears to be no legitimate statistical reason for the omission.

Perhaps the most biting comment came at Thomas’s expense, as one fan sarcastically noted: “By far the most prestigious list @JustinThomas34 is on!! 😜” This unfortunate dig drags Thomas further, salting his wounds of not being able to be in a winner’s circle for nearly 3 years. His last win was the 2022 PGA Championship.

As the PLAYERS Championship continues this week at TPC Sawgrass, the question remains: Will the PGA Tour acknowledge the error and correct the record? Let us wait and watch! Meanwhile, drop your winner picks in the comments below.