The ‘new side’ of Tiger Woods? Justin Thomas has seen it up close

There are many benefits to being friends with him Tiger Woods.

Justin Thomas I know this well.

Take this week, for example. At Tiger’s World Challenge of Heroes event in the Bahamas, Thomas basically has a standing invitation to compete. But friendship goes both ways. Despite having a major life development last month, Thomas made the flight to the Bahamas to show up for Tiger.

Thomas and Woods, who live near each other in Jupiter, Fla., dated long ago and have since become close, spending time with each other’s families and playing golf together when they are both healthy. Thomas has even built a good rapport with Woods’ son, Charlie, as seen every year at the PNC Championship.

While they are both multiple PGA Tour winning stars, as of two weeks ago, they have something else in common: fatherhood.

Thomas and his wife Jill welcomed their daughter, Molly, the couple’s first child, into the world last month. And Tiger was on top of it all, checking in with the Thomases before and after the birth.

At his Hero World Challenge press conference on Wednesday, Thomas explained that the whole experience revealed a “new side” of Tiger that he hadn’t seen before.

“He has been incredible. I mean, yes. I have certainly seen a new side of him. I mean, it’s just been great,” Thomas said. “He’s always checking in wanting to see how I’m doing, how Jill’s doing, how Molly’s doing. He knew when Jill’s surgery was and called the other night asking how everyone was doing I hung up and just looked at Jill I bet you didn’t think this would happen growing up I’m like no e I did.”

While parenting advice will surely begin to flow from the Woods family to the Thomases in the coming months and years, for now, Thomas is holding up Tiger as an example of how to successfully balance a pro golf career and being a parent.

“He loves his children very much and knows how special family is. He just knows to still be a competitor because the love you have for your kids is so different and you don’t necessarily lose your competitive drive, and if anything it can become even more,” Thomas said of Woods. . “It’s just about sharing the two, but also just enjoying it and everything.”

But more than anything, the number one piece of advice Tiger has already given Justin is to make sure he appreciates this special, brief experience in his family’s life, even if it means spending less time in call the grand champion 15 times.

“I think he’s just, you know, he’s been great in terms of — he’s like no, you go spend time with your family, you do that. When I just want to talk to him, he’s like no, take it all in, special moments or whatever, so he’s been really, really cool through it all.”

Thomas takes off for the opening round of Hero on Thursday at 12:25 PM ET in the final pair alongside Keegan Bradley.

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