Mike Thomas still remembers how his late father would “beat [him] up all the time”. Later realizing how Paul Thomas’—also a lifelong club pro—harsh treatment was perhaps deep-seated because he was hard on himself, too, Mike made a promise to himself: He’d never treat his own son the same way. When Justin Thomas started showing the acumen for golfing, Mike immediately took over the reins. Sometimes, he’d be a teacher and travel agent, while on other occasions, he’d be the dad and the buddy his son needed. In Mike’s own words, “I’m his friend first, his coach second and his father last.’’ But perhaps the most important role he’s ever played has been that of an adviser.

The one person, who noticed early on how Justin was as brutal on himself as his G-Pa once was, and redirected the 16-time PGA Tour winner’s focus in the right direction. “Look, it’s not all that big of a deal. Let’s just move on,” Mike Thomas would often tell his son after a failure. But like they say, blood runs thicker than water. And, for a meticulous, perfectionist Justin Thomas, golf has become his religion. Meaning: No arrear is a small one, which was hilariously evident as the golfer turned too harsh on one of his young fans.

The conversation surfaced during the latest episode of Quiet Please, when host Mel Reid started with a very accurate observation about Thomas: “I feel like Justin Thomas was literally born to be a golfer. Like the way he handles himself. He could not be more golfer-y” However, it was co-host and CBS reporter Kira Dixon who truly stole the show with her anecdote about Thomas’s attention to detail. Dixon recalled a memorable encounter between the golfer and a young boy at a kids’ clinic.

“I have this recollection of Justin Thomas from an event that I did at a Pro-Am on the Korn Ferry Tour way, way, way back in the day when I first started. This is when he was still playing a Korn Ferry Tour event, so a long, long time ago. It was a kids’ clinic.
This kid was on the range trying to impress JT. He comes over to him. Justin started giving him a hard time because the grooves in his irons were dirty”, Dixon recalled.

“You got to keep your clubs clean, man. If you’re not doing that, then you might as well not even show up out here,” Thomas reportedly said. She further noted how Thomas “fits the mold” of a golfer perfectly, and this incident only adds to his reputation as a true golfer’s golfer. Well, that wasn’t the first time Thomas was seen being harsh with fans. The 32-year-old reportedly had a fan removed from the Honda Classic after the fan repeatedly shouted for Thomas’ shots to land in water or a bunker on the back nine. “I feel like there’s no place for that,” Thomas said, emphasizing the importance of respect in golf. Despite Thomas’s ball landing safely in the fairway, the fan’s behavior was deemed unacceptable.

Thomas explained, “Just because you’re standing behind the ropes doesn’t mean that you can… I don’t care how much I dislike somebody, I’m never going to wish that kind of stuff upon them.” He added that he would have taken similar action if the fan had directed such behavior towards his competitor, Luke List. On the contrary, though, there was another instance when Thomas probably gave a young fan the best time of his life.

It was when an 11-year-old boy, Tommy, got to experience playing with Thomas during a practice round at the 2023 3M Open. Thomas brought Tommy inside the ropes and even let him hit a shot with his own club, resulting in a beautiful 10-foot strike that earned applause from onlookers. “That was awesome!” someone exclaimed in the background. The golf community praised Tommy’s skills and Thomas’s generosity, which is not just limited to kids.

Back in 2021, a viral video showing journeyman mini-tour player Mike Visacki tearfully telling his father how he’d qualified for Valspar in March went viral. Promptly, JT invited Visacki to play a practice round with him before the Colonial, and even handed him a check quietly to help further his dream.

Having said that, it isn’t only Thomas who has taken some surprising measures against the unruly behavior of fans.

Rory McIlroy’s fan interaction at the Players Championship

Rory McIlroy left a fan shocked at the Players Championship when he reacted strongly to heckling. During a Tuesday practice round, a fan shouted, “Just like 2011 at Augusta!” referencing McIlroy’s infamous collapse at the Masters. McIlroy grabbed the fan’s phone and walked away, leading to the fan’s removal from the course. This incident seemed to set the tone for the rest of the tournament, with security having a busy day removing hecklers.

McIlroy admitted that tuning out heckles can be a challenge, saying, “Yeah, absolutely… But I think when you’re in business mode you’re just trying to keep your head down and stay in your own little world for the most part.” His caddie, Harry Diamond, also played a role in maintaining order, calling security over to remove fans who made comments like “2011 Augusta, Rory!” The PGA Tour has a zero-tolerance policy for fan misconduct, and players or their caddies often take action when necessary. What are your thoughts on a golfer taking action against rowdy fans? Let us know in the comment section!