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. Paul Thomas begat Mike Thomas who begat Justin Thomas, the winner of the 2017 FedExCup and the defending champion at this weeks PGA Championship. He missed the 54-hole cut at Firestone but had good company: Hogan, weeks after nearly winning his fifth U.S. Open, also failed to qualify for the final round. Hes shot his age every year since turning 64. May he rest in peace.. Were all pulling for him and Im so glad to hear everythings been going well for him. The mistake caused humiliation and embarrassment and cost him some sponsors. WebJustin Reed Walker (born 1982) is an His step-grandfather, Norton Cohen, President Trump nominated Walker to the seat being vacated by Judge Thomas B. Griffith, who retired on September 1, 2020. The TOUR was just getting organized. Justin's grandfather, Paul Thomas, was a lifelong 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. Hes told me the same stories a million times, but I never tell him to stop, Justin said. Hearing about his grandfathers brushes with the games greats stoked Justins passion for the game. Gardening was his solace in a busy professional and personal life. Duke is now a central part of Thomas' August 29, 2021. I know it sure didnt pay much in those days.. He was 31 years old, and already had been a professional for 13 years. At the age of 14, she began her studies at the National Theatre School of Havana, where she graduated after 4 years. But even that wasnt easy. By then, there was nothing but good thoughts because Justin Thomas head is in a good place again. And after struggling to meet his fathers high standards, Mike also wanted to ensure his son had fun on the course. In a way, Justin Thomas was born to be on the golf course. 2023 Pletcher's Tapit Trice from post 5 is second in the morning line at 5-1. Nobodys voice would make me happier when I would hear it over the phone. The advantage was two shots after Thomas birdie on No. (AP Photo/John Bazemore), Justin Thomas hits from the rough on the 16th hole during the final round of the World Golf Championship-FedEx St. Jude Invitational Sunday, Aug. 2, 2020, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey), Justin Thomas hits from the second tee during the first round of the Tour Championship golf tournament Thursday, Aug. 22, 2019, in Atlanta. Green, whose seven wins included one major, the 1989 du Maurier, lists Paul as the biggest influence on her career. It's the signature of his late grandfather, Paul Thomas, the first in a generation of golf professionals. As Justin Thomas attempted to make up a four-shot deficit on co-leaders Jordan Spieth and Xander Schauffele in the final round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open, he did it with mixed emotions. All Rights Reserved. He suffered bogeys at 10 and 11 but finally had a highlight for the day when he holed a 49-foot putt for eagle at the short par four 17th. 18. Tequesta is a short distance from Jupiter, where Justin Thomas and a parade of other PGA TOUR players now live. He finished with a birdie at the 18th that kept him in the top five. Follow Sean Martin on Twitter. If you hustle people will respond, and it creates a fun environment. A post shared by Justin Thomas (@justinthomas34). He punctuates this sentence with a laugh, an acknowledgement that this scene a 10-year-old boy walking through dark woods on the way home from work is a remnant of a bygone era. You worked for him and you couldnt wait to go play., Longtime ZCC member Jim Spargrove, who joined in 1983, said Thomas was the first one there and the last to leave from the pro shop every day., He ran the shop, staged the golf carts, managed the driving range, marked the golf course and played golf and socialized with the members in the grill room, Spargrove recalled. Justin Thomas has a tiny tattoo on his left forearm, just below the elbow, as a tribute to his family. When Paul Thomas passed away at 89-years-old in February 2021, Justin Thomas was at TPC Scottsdale, competing at the He has spoken several times of his desire to learn from the experience as he moves forward. 'Pure Magic,' wrote the singer and actress - who showed off her baby bump earlier this week in new ads - as she shared a Paul played at Firestone CC in 1960 and Olympia Fields in 61, and he also competed in the 1962 U.S. Open at Oakmont. Thomas added: I was replaying a lot of what he [Woods] told me in my head. Many of his later years were spent giving lessons in suburban Columbus, where he and Phyllis resided after leaving Zanesville. PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions, and the Swinging Golfer design are registered trademarks. After about five or six holes he looks at me and says Mikey, I need your input. He played Jaycees one time with a group from (ZCC) in the American Cancer Society tournament and made nine birdies. 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Like his grandson, Paul entered the golf world early. The older Thomases could be overly technical, though, so Mike tried to keep his instruction of Justin simple, focusing on the fundamentals. Kevin Reid. In his case, he simply enjoyed being Grandpa. It was then that Thomas spotted his father, Mike, which made him think about his grandfather. Tiger was spotted on Sunday in Tampa at Super Bowl LV to watch the Buccaneers beat the Kansas City Chiefs. Will love and miss you, G Pa., A post shared by Justin Thomas (@justinthomas34). Then, on the par-5 16th, Thomas hit a 5-wood from 228 yards that led to a birdie and even surprised him. Getting the signature was the tricky part, so he called his grandmother. Terms of Service Long before the golf world knew him as Justin Thomas grandfather, he was an icon at ZCC with 26 years in the pro shop from 1963-88. MS: All eyes on Finau, Rahm; all ears on McIlroy, Green wins three-way playoff at JM Eagle LA, Mexico payout: Rahm sets record before May, JT: When U.S. player was intimidated by Tiger, OWGR: Top 50 finalized for Masters, Rory No. Paul has also played in the 1962 U.S. Open at Oakmont. I would say the most help I ever gave him was playing with him and talking to him, he said. News Corp is a network of leading companies in the worlds of diversified media, news, education, and information services. The Korn Ferry trademark is also a registered trademark, and is used in the Korn Ferry Tour logo with permission. summed it up best when he said: Heaven got a good one.. Still, with four holes to play, he was just a shot off the lead but hit big hooks off the tee at the par five 15th and reachable par four 17th that ended his hopes. I was just scraping it together, anyway, Paul said. He stood up there like a man and just staked it, Paul said. The memory hasnt. Golf Digests Dave Shedloski spoke with Paul. His career brought him face to face with many of sports greatest stars -- Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Muhammad Ali, Don Shula, countless Hall of Fame NFL stars, more PGA Tour players than he can count. The course let caddies play on Mondays. No doubt J.T.s mind was elsewhere as he couldnt muster much birdie power over the final round. After graduating St. Xavier High School, Thomas went to play golf for the University of Alabama where he would undoubtedly play the college's course called Ol' Colony Golf Complex which is a par-72 municipal course in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. and Justin Thomas, in full,Justin Louis Thomas, (born April 29, 1993, Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.), American golfer who, in 2017, won his first "major" at the 99th PGA I have a patent by my husbands grandfather Sebastian N Sloan from Dec 18 1941 of a cable Safeguard. 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. He played with Arnold Palmer on the PGA TOUR Champions, made the cut in three U.S. Senior Opens and even beat former U.S. Open champion Tommy Bolt in an 18-hole exhibition. Paul left school early to make a living. Kostis & McCord Off Their Rockers Ep 1 Youre Fired! Both his dad and his granddad were instrumental in shaping his career. 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. Tequesta is a short distance from Jupiter, where Justin Thomas and a parade of other PGA TOUR players now live. 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. He didnt win but Stricks shot 17-under and tied for fourth with rounds of 65-66-69-67. He was so well-liked and respected by his fellow PGA members and well-known amateur players.. PGA Tour posted a video slideshow, taking fans behind the scenes, and inside Justin Thomas trophy room. 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. This particular tattoo can be seen on the inside of his right upper arm. Green, whose seven wins included one major, the 1989 du Maurier, lists Paul as the biggest influence on her career. Hes told me the same stories a million times, but I never tell him to stop, Justin said. The members were supportive of their head pros son, allowing him full use of the course and practice facility. It has three vertical lines that represent his father, mother and himself, with a horizontal line above the middle one to form a "T" for Thomas. Like his grandson, Paul, who was 89, entered the golf world early. Thomas trailed Palmer by just a stroke entering the final round, but shot a 77 to Palmers 67. Zoller died in Dec. 2020. After his victory, Thomas recalled how his grandfather, who passed away last month aged 89, was at the forefront of his mind as he sealed the win READ: Two golfers Its a sad day. Thomas, who rose to No. Since winning the PGA Championship four summers ago, Thomas has spent every week among the top 10 in the world. He stood up there like a man and just staked it, Paul said. He was the pro at ZCC when golf began to boom around Zanesville. He also made three cuts at the U.S. Senior Open. The Ongoing Battle At The Top: Rahm Vs. Rory Vs. Scottie. Golf Channel reported during the early part of its Sunday broadcast that Thomas paternal grandfather, Paul Thomas, had died at 89. If he would have been just an average putter he would have contended, Durant said. From left, Mike Durant, Mike Thomas and Paul Thomas prior to playing a round at Zanesville Country Club. Paul, 86, still plays a handful of times per week and gives the occasional lesson. PT fondly remembered a young Justin playing the short course at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla. The holes were no more than 50-90 yards, and he would just go around and around trying to make a hole-in-one, he said. Paul Thomas, Justin's paternal grandfather, was a PGA professional, too. A result like this just helps confirm what I was already feeling, and that just moves the needle the right direction.. Sunday, February 7, 2021 shortly before he was to play in the Waste Management Phoenix Open, Justin Thomas learned that his paternal grandfather, Paul Thomas, age 89, had passed away earlier that morning. Paul, who was born in Ashland, Kentucky, but moved to Cincinnati as a child, was a lifelong club professional and spent a long chunk of his career as the head professional at Zanesville Country Club in Ohio. Id tell him, The only guy who can screw this up is you. I think we know now that hes done all right.. He was a lifelong club pro, having turned pro young to make money. I said, This is weird, but can you have grandpa sign something? Thomas said. 3 to No. 11 overall to the Titans. Thomas trailed Palmer by just a stroke entering the final round, but shot a 77 to Palmers 67. Not so much. Justin Thomas on Winning the Players Championship and the Advice Friend Tiger Woods Gave Him Beforehand Justin Thomas also tells PEOPLE about what he thinks He never made it to the national championship, though. Players would acknowledge him from a few fairways over. He is a bit of a legend imo. Thomas and Woods are very close. He left school and declared himself a golf professional at the age of 17 and bounced around several clubs. You have permission to edit this article. Mike Thomas was a good amateur and an all-Ohio Valley Conference honoree at Morehead State before following his father into the club pro ranks. Paul was one of the first to call Justin after he won last years PGA at Quail Hollow. Paul Thomas poses with a photo with his son Mike, left, and grandson Justin during a round of golf. According to a story about Paul on PGATour.com, he and wife Phyllis followed their grandsons career closely from their home in Columbus, Ohio. I said, PT, you told me to speak up. Justin Thomas walks to the second green during the third round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open. I thought it was 50/50 if it was going to be dry or in the water, Thomas said. Copyright 2023 PGA TOUR, Inc. All rights reserved. Thomas went pro in 2012 at age 20 and has already garnered several accolades in his career so far. Paul Thomas begat Mike Thomas who begat Justin Thomas, the winner of the 2017 FedExCup and the defending champion at this weeks PGA Championship. I was very lucky to be able to work with him and call him a friend. Mike Thomas graduated from Zanesville High, along with brothers Scott, Rob and Perry. Trump's visit comes as he faces a number of legal troubles back home.