By Mark Maloney, MSUEagles.com
Photo courtesy of PGATour.com
If there is something different about the father-son relationship that former Morehead State golfer Mike Thomas has with his son Justin, well, that's by plan. Justin Thomas, 24, is a rising star on the PGA Tour.
Three weeks ago, Justin scored the most important victory of his young career, the PGA Championship.
In addition to that, he has won the CIMB Classic, SBS Tournament of Champions and Sony Open in Hawaii this season. He has earned more than $7.3 million this season and ranks No. 3 in FedExCup points.
Mike, who graduated from MSU in 1982, is pro emeritus at Harmony Landing Country Club in Goshen, Ky. He has served on the PGA of America board. And Mike's father, Paul, also was a longtime club pro and a 60-year member of the PGA of America.
When Justin walked off the 18th green at Quail Hollow (in Charlotte, N.C.), Mike was the first person he hugged. Paul was the first person he called.
In addition to being Justin's father and teacher, though, Mike considers himself first and foremost to be a friend.
"I made a point when Justin was 4 years old or younger to never be his 'father.' I wanted to be his 'friend,'" Mike said during a phone interview from Old Westbury, N.Y., site of last weekend's The Northern Trust tourney. "So I'm here really more as his friend and instructor, not his father-instructor. Now and then you have to do something that a father will do. But I made a decision very early in his life that I was going to be his friend more than I was going to be his father.
"I think that's why we have the relationship we have. I mean, we'll go to dinner, we'll goof around still. I would like to think that we're just buddies more than a father and son. He just happens to be my son."
Mike grew up in Zanesville, Ohio, where his father taught him how to play golf.
Now 86, Paul is in good health, but limits his PGA Tour travels to nearby tournaments such as The Bridgestone in Akron, Ohio, and the Memorial in Dublin, Ohio.
Mike went on to play under Rex Chaney at MSU.
"I was a decent player," Mike said. "I learned a lot from being around other players. Just learned a lot about the game. And I needed to get away from home just to experience life. I think you learn a lot more about life than anything else just going to college – learning how to budget your time and budget your money and things like that.
"Being around other golfers that were better players on a daily basis is certainly going to help everybody. … Being around Dr. Chaney – he was always positive. He was always encouraging. He worked us pretty good. So there was no downside to my time there. I loved it."
Now, he is loving life at 57. Mike was head pro at Harmony Landing for 28 years before becoming pro emeritus. The change enables him to follow Justin more closely on the Tour, while maintaining a teaching presence at the club. His former assistant, Will Schneider, is now head pro.
After being with Justin through Friday of last weekend's tournament, Mike was back teaching at Harmony Landing on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. He plans to head to Boston on Tuesday, joining Justin for this week's Deutsche Bank Championship.
"This is a little more hectic than normal because of the playoffs," Mike said. "I don't go to every Tour event. I'm going to more and more. But I'll go to all the playoffs and the President's Cup. And the majors I go to, for sure."
Justin, who starred at St. Xavier High School in Louisville and then at the University of Alabama, is averaging 309.1 yards off the tee, with an average score of 69.454. He tied for sixth at The Northern Trust.
He is the first Kentuckian to win a PGA major since Gay Brewer of Lexington captured the 1967 Masters. The last Kentuckian to claim the PGA Championship was Bobby Nichols of Louisville in 1964.
Mike's thoughts when he realized Justin was about to become a part of that state legacy?
"Coming down 18, once I knew it was likely to happen – yeah, I just thought about 'my dad's a PGA member.' And three generations of PGA members, it's a really cool (one) to win. And I was just happy for my son. He's worked hard to get here. These guys push themselves hard, and for him to accomplish a goal – I think any parent would like to see their child accomplish any goal, regardless of what it is. Yeah, I was just happy for him."
The PGA is the career highlight to date for the father-son buddies.
"I'm so fortunate," Mike said. "He's provided me a lot of great moments both in and out of golf. I mean, golf is not who he is. It's what he does. So he's provided me a lot of special moments, as any child provides their parents. But I would say the PGA Championship is definitely the top of the list thus far."
As for what may lay ahead, Mike says Justin is trying to win the FedExCup and Player of the Year this season. More majors will always be goals.
And then there is this, Mike said: "I know another key goal that we've worked on this year and going forward is going to be just to be more consistent. He tends to get on runs and then kind of disappears for a little while, then gets another run. So he would like to get his game going to where, when he's not doing well, it's a 20th instead of a 40th or a missed cut. But he's young and he's maturing, and he's getting better at all that."
