“To be perfectly honest, I just wish one of them would have the b—- to ‘I am doing this for the money,’” said a very agitated Justin Thomas back in 2022, when LIV Golf was still a very new thing. Thomas was fed up with players who jumped to LIV, dodging the real reason behind their switch, instead claiming it’s “for the betterment of the game.” He understands that players are entitled to make their own decisions, but what really gets his gears turning is the lack of honesty about their motivations. Thomas has been vocal about his opinions, driven by his passion for the PGA Tour, which he’s dreamed about playing on since he was a kid.

Then again, in 2024, Thomas spilled his thoughts on LIV defectors, saying he doesn’t think PGA Tour golfers who joined LIV should be allowed to easily return to the PGA Tour. “I would say that there’s a handful of players on LIV that would make the tour a better place, but I’m definitely not in agreement that they should just be able to come back that easily,” Thomas said, noting that many players made sacrifices and stuck to their word and his stance on the rival league didn’t change over the years, until now.

The PGA Tour pro, all the bad blood aside, at the first round of The 153rd Open, when he congratulated Lee Westwood on a fantastic round. “Good play, mate,” Thomas could be heard saying as the LIV golfer was walking past him in the recent video on The R&A’s YouTube channel. Westwood, who’s no stranger to Royal Portrush — he tied for fourth here six years ago — shot a 2-under 69, leaving him tied for 10th on the leaderboard.

Despite bogeying two of the last three holes after a bogey-free start, Westwood was pleased with his round, noting he led the field in birdie chances from 10 feet and 20 feet. The 52-year-old Englishman feels in control of his golf swing, saying it’s “as good as it’s been in a while.”

With 91 major starts under his belt, Westwood’s chasing a good finish at Portrush as he’s currently tied for the 11th spot with a score of 6 under par. Maybe Thomas is right to compliment Westwood after all, since the LIV golfer has truly been amazing as the game is progressing.

Lee Westwood almost made history at the Royal Portrush

Lee Westwood’s third round at the 2025 Open Championship was a rollercoaster ride, starting with a disastrous start where he went four over through six holes. “I was looking around the golf course and I was like, oh, my God, where am I going to make a couple of birdies to get this back to half decent,” Westwood said. However, he quickly shifted his focus to enjoying the moment and soaking in the mind of the game. “That’s why I really wasn’t that disappointed when I was four over through 6 because I thought, it’s the Open Championship, how many more am I going to get to play, you might as well enjoy it,” he said.

The 52-year-old Englishman turned his round around with a blistering back nine, carding 29 and coming agonizingly close to making history with a 28. “I just kept writing down a lot of 3’s on my scorecard, and I was like, ‘This is going well’,” he said with a chuckle. “I didn’t even know what I needed coming down the last.” Despite missing a potential history-making birdie putt on the 18th, Westwood was pleased with his play, saying, “Just shows you you’ve got to be patient and never give up, right? Stick at it.”

With a top-10 finish guaranteeing him a spot at the Open next year and a top-four finish securing him a spot in all four majors in 2026, Westwood’s focus remains on enjoying the moment. So, can Westwood keep the momentum going and finish in contention at Portrush? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!