In the world of professional golf, the journey from a budding junior to a celebrated PGA Tour star is fraught with challenges, growth, and a fair share of memorable anecdotes. One such anecdote was recently shared by Belgian golfer, Thomas Detry, who reflected on his early encounters with American golfer Justin Thomas.

During an appearance on GOLF’s Subpar podcast, Detry provided a candid glimpse into the junior golf circuit. “Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah, he was,” Detry responded to being asked whether Thomas was a “cocky little s**t talker” even back in his younger days. Detry recounted observations of JT’s demeanor on the golf course. “He was a little cocky,” he continued, shedding light on the confidence the young Thomas exuded.

The Belgian also noted a peculiar habit that stood out. “And I remember him (Justin Thomas) spitting a lot. For some reason,” he added. This habit left a lasting impression on the 31 year old golfer. It painted a vivid picture of a 14-year-old Thomas, nonchalantly spitting around the golf course. “Like he was a 14-year-old kid just spitting around on the golf course,” Detry remarked, almost in disbelief. “I was like, what are you doing? Keep it in,” he mused.

Thomas Detry played against Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth in the 2010 Junior Ryder Cup. The hysterical memory serves not just as a humorous anecdote but also as a lens into the informal behaviors that athletes sometimes exhibit. JT has grown up though and is a lot wiser, but his “cocky” attitude has not really changed much!

More to Justin Thomas’s ‘cocky’ attitude

At the 2020 PGA Championship, Thomas’s fervor was on full display. A moment of frustration in the final round led to an audible outburst, saying, “You’ve gotta be f**king kidding me.” That single missed putt probably played an integral role in pushing him down to T-37. The instance also fits in with the JT’s s**t-talking persona, which Detry affirmed.

A hint of the golfer’s sarcastic nature was visible when he watched the video of his lipped-out hole-in-one. The moment took place at the 2024 American Express in January. When the interviewer asked him to watch the glimpses, he said cockily, with a smile on his face, “I don’t know if I am going to like this video.” With a smirk on his face, he remarked, “That was so cruel. And it was obviously a great shot, but going 20, 30 feet past, and that one does that. Oh well, good 2. One and a half.”

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With Thomas swinging the club at Bay Hill, will the 30-year-old inch out a victory? Tune in to find out!

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