Hes told me the same stories a million times, but I never tell him to stop, Justin said. Not all professional golf wins are equal. Paul Thomas was his grandsons biggest fan. Golf Channel reported during the early part of its Sunday broadcast that Thomas paternal grandfather, Paul Thomas, had died at 89. Just one anxious moment awaited Thomas. summed it up best when he said: Heaven got a good one.. The members were supportive of their head pros son, allowing him full use of the course and practice facility. Paul Thomas left school at age 17 to become a golf professional after caddieing in his youth in Cincinnati. Tequesta is a short distance from Jupiter, where Justin Thomas and a parade of other PGA TOUR players now live. He tried to play on the PGA Tour in the mid-1950s but didnt have much success so he moved back to Cincinnati to work as a club professional. Paul was declared ineligible because his membership to his new PGA section hadnt yet transferred. Justin Thomas fought back tears in an emotional interview after winning the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass on Sunday. PONTE VEDRA BEACH The most difficult part of the day for Justin Thomas was not chasing and catching Lee Westwood and Bryson DeChambeau. Paul served as an assistant pro at several clubs before becoming the head professional at Ohios Zanesville Country Club in 1963. Everyone else? since early 2020. Paul wont take credit for his grandsons success, though. And Justin followed his father to the chipping green, a constant site of competition between three generations of Thomas men. Zoller died in Dec. 2020. MORE: Justin Thomas has some valid concerns about fans betting on golf. These were the humble beginnings of a golfing genealogy that produced one of todays top players. Its Golf, Only Quieter, A Vu Breakthrough Lilia Vu Wins LPGA Thailand, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy Break Ground On Golf Of Tomorrow, Nelly Korda Two Back Thru 36 At LPGA Thailand, Dream Lesson: Short Game Study With Tiger, Rory And J-Day. Getting the signature was the tricky part, so he called his grandmother. Thomas' grandfather, Paul Thomas, played in some PGA Tour events in the late 1950s and qualified for three major championships in the early 1960s. All rights reserved. The course let caddies play on Mondays. Youd enter one tournament from the last one. Paul served as an assistant pro at several clubs before becoming the head professional at Ohios Zanesville Country Club in 1963. His grandfather Paul was also a club pro in Zanesville, Ohio so Thomas may have played there sometimes too. His best success came in his 40s and 50s; he finished T15 in the 1983 U.S. Senior Open and played with Palmer in the final round of the Citizens Union Senior Golf Classic in Lexington, Kentucky. Those guys truly did dig it out of the dirt., Paul was born in 1931 in Ashland, Kentucky, a steel town on the border of West Virginia, but his family moved to Cincinnati when he was 5. A month later, his 89-year-old grandfather died. You could tell that there was a big possibility there, Paul said. Paul Thomas begat Mike Thomas who begat Justin Thomas, the winner of the 2017 FedExCup and the defending champion at this weeks PGA Championship. Paul Thomas passed his pasion for golf down to his son, Mike, and his grandson, 13-time PGA Tour winner Justin. Paul Thomas, Justin's paternal grandfather, was a PGA professional, too. After struggling early in 2021, dealing with the death of his grandfather and the response to a homophobic slur he muttered that was heard on TV audio, Thomas shot 132 on the DIVE DEEPER He would finish the round shooting a one-over 72 to come in T-13, six back of Koepka. Today, 36 years later, golf is still a great part of his life, thanks to competitive playing days and the wonderful people he has met on this fabulous journey. Thomas said Sunday he kept telling everyone close to him he was waiting for something good to happen this year. Broeck famously played and caddied in the same PGA Tour event. Its been well documented that golf runs in the Thomas family. Justin Thomas got his dog in 2016. Lescalleet, now an assistant pro at Long Cove Club in Hilton Head, South Carolina, is still enjoying a strong playing career. It's the signature of his late grandfather, Paul Thomas, the first in a generation of golf professionals. Pro golfer Justin Thomas chats with his grandfather Paul Thomas, left, at the Harmony Landing Campus, Big Spring Country Club prior to the Justin Thomas Junior Championship in 2019. May the Thomas beloved pioneer Rest In Peace. He was 89. After his grandfather passed away from Parkinson's, Louisville doctor tries to find a cure. 0. (AP Photo/John Amis). Mike Thomas took after his father, becoming a Class A professional with the PGA Of America. Justins father, Mike, is a PGA professional and Mikes father, Paul, worked in the same industry. On Saturday night, Justin got the sad news that Paul, age 89, had passed away. I was just scraping it together, anyway, Paul said. The putter was one of the strongest clubs in Pauls bag. Nearly eight decades ago, a young boy trounced through the woods in search of work. Not so much. As he was walking away, he said: Dang man, whyd you do that to me? and raised his arms to wipe away tears with his shirt sleeve. I was forced out (of school) because of finances, and that was the first opportunity at halfway decent employment, Paul said. Paul, who twice played in the PGA Championship (1960 and 1961) and also competed in the 1962 U.S. Open at Oakmont, would pass his love of the game down to his son, Mike Thomas, Justins father, who also became a club professional in Kentucky. 'Pure Magic,' wrote the singer and actress - who showed off her baby bump earlier this week in new ads - as she shared a And he sure did.. Two of his early assistant-pro jobs took him to York, Pennsylvania, and Tequesta, Florida, where he worked for Ohio native and established PGA TOUR winner Dow Finsterwald at Tequesta Golf Club. Copyright Dog Leg News 2015 | Terms | Privacy, Justin Thomas Played With Heavy Heart After Loss Of Grandfather, Same Saudi Song: Its Dustin Johnson Winning Again, Big-Time Brooks: Koepka Prevails In Frenzied Phoenix Finish, WGC 2.0?? He didnt win but Stricks shot 17-under and tied for fourth with rounds of 65-66-69-67. He would talk with him about golf all of the time, but it was more hey, lets work on that putting, or, hey I saw this out there. But Mike was in charge of helping him with his swing. 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Paul and Phyllis Thomas had never been on-hand for one of their grandsons nine PGA TOUR victories. Justin Thomas is one of the most popular golfers on the PGA Tour. Paul was a lifelong club pro, but also an accomplished player who competed in the same events as Palmer, Nicklaus and Hogan. According to a story about Paul on PGATour.com, he and wife Phyllis followed their grandsons career closely from their home in Columbus, Ohio. It has all had an impact on the 27-year-olds game. Ralph Lauren dropped him as a sponsor; Citi publicly scolded him. But the P.G.A. These were the humble beginnings of a golfing genealogy that produced one of todays top players. Thomas, the Jupiter resident, got so emotional he had a difficult time trying to say how much his grandfather meant to him and how he wished he could talk to him. From left, Mike Durant, Mike Thomas and Paul Thomas prior to playing a round at Zanesville Country Club. Instant access to the latest news, videos and photos from around the world of golf. The only thing I knew is that I just absolutely smoked it. Paul felt the tension when Justin stepped to the tee at the watery par-3 17th and celebrated when his grandsons 214-yard 7-iron stopped within 2 feet of the hole. WebMatch All (Sorted by Popularity Ascending) 1. Apr 30, 2021; Palm Harbor, Florida, USA; Justin Thomas tees off on the 6th hole Terms of Service It was nothing like it is today. All Rights Reserved. (Getty) A passion for golf runs deep in the Thomas family. Justin Thomas may be a top golfer, but he is not the only one with serious game. Mike Thomas, Justins father, is a golf pro at a Kentucky course. Mike also has been involved with the PGA at a variety of levels including their attempts to help grow the sport. Youve been hitting every iron shot about five or six feet from the hole. 13 among final renovations to Valhalla ahead of 2024 PGA. It was there where Durant met several big-name players, including legendary Arnold Palmer and Sam Snead, to name a few. Thomas said his mojo changed on Friday when he birdied the 16th and 18th holes, one of just 10 birdies on 18 the entire tournament. Thomas added: I was replaying a lot of what he [Woods] told me in my head. Its a sad day. Justin Thomas is very close with his family, including his grandfather, Paul Thomas. In 1958, Paul returned to Cincinnati to work as an assistant pro at Western Hills Country Club. I wish I could talk to him, but I know hes watching.. And Justin followed his father to the chipping green, a constant site of competition between three generations of Thomas men. Mike was influenced by his fathers devotion to that aspect of the game, and he enjoyed practicing shots that he could see go in the hole. LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) Justin Thomas played the Sunday's final round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open while mourning the death of his grandfather, Paul. Durant, who took over at ZCC in 1992, said he often uses Thomas teachings in his own job. Only he and Brett Steinhagenhave been head pros at ZCC since Thomas left. His best success came in his 40s and 50s; he finished T15 in the 1983 U.S. Senior Open and played with Palmer in the final round of the Citizens Union Senior Golf Classic in Lexington, Kentucky. I think it's something, especially at our level, a lot of people probably think that they're bigger and better than that, but some of the thoughts and things I was feeling, it wasn't fair to myself, and I needed to do something. https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2021/02/11/justin-thomas-grandfather-ohio-town/, Mexico, Caribbean, Atlantic islands, Central America, Top 50 Classic Courses in Great Britain & Ireland, Top 50 Modern Courses in Great Britain & Ireland, Justin Thomas on death of his grandfather Paul: 'Nobody's voice would make me happier', The best golf courses you can play in Ohio: Golfweek's Best, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. He made the commute on foot. Justin is a tough guy and dug deep, likely for his grandpa, but he just couldnt. I would say the most help I ever gave him was playing with him and talking to him, he said. Loving father of Jason (Holly), Crystal (Delano) and Brown (Natalie) and late Ashley. WebIsaiah Foskey spent his Draft night visiting one of his best friends grandfather who was placed on life support. He was 31 years old, and already had been a professional for 13 years. Will love and miss you, G Pa,. Thomas father and mother attend most of his tournaments and his grandfather was there when J.T. Follow Sean Martin on Twitter. 2, NBC to debut "BagCam" Fri. at Valspar with JT. Kevin Reid. When Paul Thomas passed away at 89-years-old in February 2021, Justin Thomas was at TPC Scottsdale, competing at the Mike and I won the Kentucky Father-Son title this year (in 2001)and he has an 8-year-old son whos a pretty good little player, Thomas said. [3] You cant play at that high of level and have two sets of voices.. If youre going to caddy you better speak up,' Durant recalled. She said, `Should I even bother asking?' Thomas was in attendance when Justin won the 2018 WCC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club, the same site in which Thomas competed in the 1960 PGA Championship. Paul, 86, still plays a handful of times per week and gives the occasional lesson. It wasnt even his tee shot on No. It was his television interview moments after his victory at The Players Championship was secured Sunday and he was asked about his grandfather, Paul Paul Thomas, who was a longtime head golf professional, would have been proud at how his grandson overcame a start in which he was outside the cutline after the first 27 holes and recovered to card a 64-68 on the weekend on the way to a 14-under 274 for the tournament, one shot better than ageless wonder Lee Westwood.
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