Golf star Justin Thomas called Tiger Woods’ son, Charlie, a “little punk” in an interview with The Smylie Show.

The Smylie Show, a golf podcast run by former PGA golfer Smylie Kaufman, frequently has current and former golfers on the show.

Kaufman asked Thomas if he wanted to be a mentor to Woods. 

“I wanna be if he wants me to be,’ Thomas said. ‘I was very lucky to have some people like that in my life and I know how helpful that was… I wanna help in any way I can.” 

After answering the question, he added on with a joke about Woods.

“He’s grown up a lot,” Thomas said. “He’s still a little punk but not a total punk kid. He can beat me up, so I can’t say too much.”

Despite some harsh word choices, it was clear that Thomas wishes Woods the best in his golf career.

Woods recently committed to Florida State. This comes despite finishing last in the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley in South Carolina.

Woods’ father hasn’t officially retired yet. His last tournament was the Open Championship in 2024. He is recovering from an Achilles and back injury.

The odds that the Woodses ever play in the same tournament are unlikely, but not impossible. LeBron James and Bronny James made history in 2024 by becoming the first father-son duo since Ken Griffey Sr. and Jr. 

Despite having the name recognition, Woods is currently outside of the top 50 in high school golf rankings.

Woods has 87,100 followers on Instagram, making him one of the most followed non-professional golfers. His father helped significantly increase golf’s popularity in his prime, and many are hoping his son can do something similar. 

The college golf season will begin in September. The season ends in April after a break for the winter. 

Team USA’s Justin Thomas, former world number one, decided to have a little fun and prank fans outside of the Ritz Carlton in Atlanta. He was attending a USA team dinner with other golfers who automatically qualified for the Ryder Cup when he decided to stir the pot by saying, loud enough that the nearby fans could hear, “I can’t believe we’re picking Phil? What do you guys think about that?”

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Of course, he meant Phil Mickelson, and it was a cruel joke for any USA golf fan. Mickelson, 51, nicknamed Lefty, has won six major championships and 45 events on the PGA tour — accolades that make him one of the all-time great golfers and veteran of the Ryder Cup. However, this year, Mickelson will play the role of assistant captain and will not be involved in actual play.  

The Ryder Cup is a bi-annual golf tournament that pits team USA up against Europe. The event takes place on the Whistling Straights golf course in Wisconsin. Team USA will bring along 12 golfers — six that qualify automatically through their performances throughout the year and six that are chosen. 

Listen to Thomas’ account of his interaction with the fans:

On Sunday, Justin Thomas won the Player’s Championship after a rough first two days. Thomas finished on 14-under after shooting a final-round 68.

For Thomas, the win was a bit more to him. The professional golfer talked about how his grandfather was at the forefront of his mind. Thomas’ grandfather passed away last month at the age of 89. The golfer said, “I think about him every day but thought about him this morning, and then I think when I saw my dad walking up 18, that was the first time during or since I teed off on one when I really thought about him.”

The 27-year-old not only won the tournament but also joined Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Johnny Miller as the only players in PGA Tour history with 14 victories before turning 28. Woods, a friend of the young golfer, said of him, “He likes to give me a lot of grief, especially when he’s not here, we’re all pulling for him, and I’m so glad to hear everything’s been going well with him.”

Thomas not only took $2.7 million in prize money, but he now has PGA title number 14.

Fifteen-time Major champion Tiger Woods, 45, was involved in a car accident on Tuesday morning, which left the golfer with multiple leg injuries. He was hospitalized following the single-vehicle crash in Los Angeles.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Woods was driving at high speeds when his SUV struck a raised median, crossed over into the opposite lane of traffic, and rolled over several times. The car came to a stop in a grassy area that was several hundred feet from where he had been driving. Chris Thomas, a representative of the Los Angeles County Fire Department, told ESPN’s Mark Schlabach that rescue personnel had to extract Woods from the windshield of the SUV.

Immediately after the crash, Woods was said to be awake and alert when firefighters and police arrived on the scene. After firefighters removed Woods from the vehicle by breaking through the car’s windshields, the golfer was quickly transported to the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. A prybar and ax were used to remove Woods from the windshield.

Another car, which had stopped on the side of the road to assist Woods shortly after the accident, was also struck by another vehicle coming over the hill. Thomas said the latter incident was a minor traffic incident with no injuries.

Woods reportedly suffered serious leg injuries from the accident. Deputy Carlos Gonzalez, who was first to arrive on the scene, said Woods was calm and able to identify himself.

The 45-year-old underwent emergency surgery on his lower right leg and ankle. Dr. Anish Mahajan, the Chief Medical Officer and Interim CEO at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center released a statement describing the injuries.

“Comminuted open fractures affecting both the upper and lower portions of the tibia and fibula bones were stabilized by inserting a rod into the tibia,” Mahajan explained. “Additional injuries to the bones of the foot and ankle were stabilized with a combination of screws and pins. Trauma to the muscle and soft tissue of the leg required the surgical release of the covering of the muscles to relieve pressure due to swelling.”

According to a statement released by Woods, he is “awake, responsive, and recovering in his hospital room.”

The crash and injuries have hampered the 45-year-old’s plans to make a comeback. It is still too early to know whether a full recovery is possible or not. Considering Woods’s age and his lengthy injury history, the road to recovery will be slow and drawn out. The accident reportedly could have been fatal. Woods was lucky to have had his seatbelt on. It very likely saved his life.

This is not the first time that Woods has been plagued by controversy off of the golf course. He has had a messy relationship with illegal substances and alcohol. in May of 2017, Woods was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. He pleaded guilty to charges of reckless driving in October of 2017. Prescription painkillers, a sleep medication, and marijuana were found in his system.

Immediately following this latest crash, many speculated that Woods was under the influence at the time of the accident. However, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said the incident was “purely an accident” during a news conference on Wednesday. No criminal charges will be filed, as there were no signs that Woods was impaired.

Later on Wednesday, Villanueva told CNN that, when questioned at the hospital, Woods had “no recollection” of the crash occurring.

According to Golf Digest, Woods was in California for a two-day content shoot with Golf Digest/GOLFTV after serving as a host for the PGA Tour’s Genesis Invitational over the weekend. He briefly appeared on CBS’s broadcast of the Genesis Invitational, marking his last public appearance before Tuesday’s accident. Woods told CBS’s Jim Nantz that it was unclear when he would return to action after needing his fifth back surgery this past December.

The sports world was severely shaken up by the news of Woods’s accident. Justin Thomas, a close friend of Woods’s on the PGA Tour, addressed the accident on Tuesday saying he was “sick to my stomach.”

Speaking at a press conference, Thomas said that “It hurts to see one of your closest friends gets in an accident.”

“Man, I just hope he’s all right,” he added. “I’m just worried for his kids, I’m sure they’re struggling.”

Jay Monahan, the PGA Tour commissioner, said in a statement on Tuesday that he was aware of the crash. “We are awaiting further information when he comes out of surgery,” Monahan said. “On behalf of the PGA Tour and our players, Tiger is in our prayers and will have our full support as he recovers.”

The one golfer whom Woods trails in the sport’s Major championship count, Jack Nicklaus, said in a tweet that “We want to offer him our heartfelt support and prayers at this difficult time. Please join us in wishing Tiger a successful surgery and all the best for a full recovery.”

Bryson DeChambeau, who has been a frequent practice partner of Woods, also took to Twitter. “Heartbroken and shocked to hear about Tiger Woods accident today. My thoughts and prayers are with him for a full recovery.”

Others from the golf world, including Rickie Fowler, Ian Poulter and Adam Scott, also voiced their support for Woods.

News of Woods’s crash, though, extended far beyond the golf world as athletes from all across the sports world show their support for Woods in his recovery.

Keep checking back for more updates on the latest Tiger Woods news.

PGA golfer Justin Thomas will voluntarily be undergoing an individual sensitivity training program to become a “better person.” Last month, Thomas was picked up by his microphone on live TV using a homophobic slur. Thomas missed a putt and used the slur to refer to his failure to score the putt.

The golfer expressed remorse afterward and told the interviewer that it was “humiliating and embarrassing and it’s not me.”

Ralph Lauren ended their sponsorship with the golfer because of the incident. The clothing brand was a long-time sponsor of the golfer since he turned pro. The brand was “disheartened” by the slur used, and made a decision to end their association because of their responsibility to their shareholders.

The 27-year-old golfer said in response, “I’m not disappointed because I put them in a terrible position. I was just more upset. I spoke with them, along with all my sponsors, and although I apologized, just like it was then it’s an opportunity for me to grow and I felt like it was something we could have done together and gone through that process.”

Thomas said he hoped to grow as a result of the program. “I’m doing what I’d like to keep internally and just go through the appropriate steps to get where I need to be and want to be, so people understand that’s not the person I am, the character I like to portray,” Thomas said.

The PGA Tour suspended its season following the first round of The Players Championship back in March. Thursday will see the start of the first PGA Tour event with the Charles Schwab Challenge. There will be no fans in attendance, so one of the things that has been suggested is players being mic’d up. Some Tour players, however, are not  fans of this idea. 

During TaylorMade’s Driving Relief and The Match: Champions for Charity, all the players wore mics and it seemed to be well received by fans. Number four ranked golfer in the world Justin Thomas expressed his displeasure with the idea of wearing a microphone while he was playing. “I would not wear a mic, no. That’s not me. What I talk about with [my caddy] Jimmy and what I talk about with the guys in my group is none of anybody else’s business, no offense. I mean, as close as those mics are on the tees and the greens and as close as I get to boom mics during competition anyway, I basically feel like I am mic’d up. I can’t say some stuff that I usually say anyway, and it is not that it’s bad, but no, if I want somebody to know what I say, I’ll say it in a press conference, I’ll say it in an interview or put it out on social media, whatever it is. But I personally am not one that would care to get mic’d out there.”

Thomas was not the only top Tour player who was opposed to the idea of wearing a mic. The second ranked golfer in the world, Jon Rahm, feels that there really is no reason for it. “I don’t think there’s any reason why we should be mic’d up from shot to shot. really. But again, it all depends. If somebody decides to do it and it really works out and they think it’s really fun, cool, go ahead. I can tell you I’m not speaking about many interesting things on the golf course. There’s just a lot of golf, if I speak at all.”

From the PGA Tour’s perspective and the perspective of the television networks, it should come as a no brainer to put microphones on players as a means to modernize and bring more viewers to the sport, although the players do have a point as to be constantly aware of what you can and cannot say can take you away from focusing on a crucial putt. 

Justin Thomas gave the U.S. Team a much needed point in the President’s Cup when he birdied an 18-foot putt on the last hole in a foursome match Friday. After Day 1, the Americans found themselves trailing the International Team 4-1. An International side hasn’t lead by that much after one session in 16 years, according to CBS Sports.

Day 2 consisted of “foursome play,” where two players on a team alternate taking shots with one ball. Thomas was paired with Tiger Woods going into the fourth match up of the day as they faced Hideki Matsuyama and Byeong Hun An. The U.S. found themselves trailing the International Team 6-2 at that point with two matches left in the session.

The two teams were battling hard and remained tied after the 17th hole. Thomas started off the 18th with a drive that landed off to the right in the light rough. Woods stepped up next with a shot that dropped on the green before carrying 18 feet away from the hole. Matsuyama had a chance to sink a 25-foot birdie, but missed giving the Americans a chance to get a point.

Thomas sunk the putt and did his best Terrell Owens impression as he yelled at Woods , “I love me some me!” Woods and him celebrated with a strong embrace. “I’ve been fortunate to make a lot of putts. But to do it with my captain and teammate was awesome,” Thomas told CBS Sports.

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“We were both screaming,” Woods said. “It was a phenomenal moment, and it was priceless. So I’m glad we were able to experience it together.”

Patrick Cantlay also birdied his final shot on the 18th hole to give the U.S. it’s first point of the day two matches prior to Thomas’ heroics. Rickie Fowler and Gary Woodland came back to win the last matchup of the day after trailing by two strokes with three holes to play.

The U.S. is still trailing the International Team by three points, 6.5-3.5, but an International side hasn’t won since 1998.

The 100th annual PGA Championship will start on Thursday, and here is what you need to know for the event that will end golf’s major tournament season.

PGA Championship 2018 Preview

The tournament will be held at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis, Missouri. Justin Thomas is the reigning champion, and the 25-year-old has won several other big competitions this year, including the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, Ohio on Sunday. This marked Thomas’s third PGA Tour title of the season.  Thomas was named PGA Tour Player of the Year in 2017.

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Meanwhile TIger Woods — who is set to face off against Phil Mickelson in a much-anticipated, one-on-one, winner-take-all match Thanksgiving weekend — is seeking a fifth PGA championship trophy and a 15th major title. A victory at Bellerive would also mark the 42-year-old’s 80th PGA Tour win in the last month.

Woods, who recently made a comeback following a DUI arrest and multiple injuries, last won a Grand Slam at the 2008 U.S. Open. He and Thomas are both favorites to win the PGA Championship, as are Jordan Spieth and Dustin Johnson. 

The first two rounds of the tournament (Thursday and Friday) will air on TNT, and live coverage will begin at 2pm EST. (2-8pm).

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Here are the favorites to win the tournament, according to Oddsshark.com:

Jordan Spieth (+1000)

Rory McIlroy (+1000)

Dustin Johnson (+1200)

Jason Day (+1200)

Hideki Matsuyama (+1600)

Rickie Fowler (+1800)

Justin Rose (+2200)

Justin Thomas (+2800)

The 2018 U.S. Open started Thursday morning at Shinnecock Hills in Southampton, New York, and here is how the opening round is shaping up.

US Open 2018 Round 1 Leaderboard

Scott Piercy, a 39-year-old Las Vegas native who has four PGA Tour wins, is tied for first in Round 1 at -1 overall with Britain’s Ian Poulter. Only those two players are under par thus far.

Americans Charley Hoffman and Chris Naegel are tied for third, while Justin Rose and 2018 Masters winner Patrick Reed are tied for fifth at 1-over. Hoffman is seeking his first major title.

Tiger Woods is set to tee off at 1:47pm EST. He is grouped with Justin Thomas, the reigning PGA Championship winner.

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Meanwhile, top PGA stars Jordan Spieth, Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy did not impress in the first round. They logged a combined nine bogeys, three double-bogies and just one birdie after eight holes.

Here is a preview for Rounds 2, 3 and 4 of the U.S. Open, which will end on Sunday.

Round 2: Friday, June 15

Round 2 start time: 6:45 a.m.

Live streams: 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on USOpen.com

• Featured Groups 1: TBA
• Featured Groups 2: Thomas, Johnson, Woods | McIlroy, Spieth, Mickelson
• Holes 7, 9, 11

TV coverage: 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on FS1 | 4:30-7:30 p.m. on Fox

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Round 3: Saturday, June 16

Round 3 start time: TBA

Live streams: 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on USOpen.com

• Featured Groups: TBA
• Holes 7, 9, 11

TV coverage: 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Fox, 4-7:30 p.m. on Fox Deportes

Round 4: Sunday, June 17

Round 4 start time: TBA

Live streams: 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on USOpen.com

• Featured Groups: TBA
• Holes 7, 9, 11

TV coverage: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Fox, 4-7 p.m. on Fox Deportes

Justin Thomas was named PGA Tour Player of the Year for the 2016-2017 season on Wednesday after claiming five trophies, a major championship and the FedEx Cup.

Justin Thomas Award News

The 24-year-old Kentucky native beat top golfers like Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson and Hideki Matsuyama to earn the honors. Thomas also won the Arnold Palmer Award as the top money winner.

“It’s a huge honor. Any time you can win an award with someone like Jack Nicklaus’s name on the award, it definitely means a lot, and it’s something that I’ll cherish for a while for sure,” said Thomas. “It’s kind of crazy, especially for someone with the expectations I’ve always had for myself. It never really entered my mind winning it.”

“Any time you can win an award with someone like Jack Nicklaus‘ name on the award, it definitely means a lot,” added Thomas.

PGA Tour members vote for the recipient of the award.

This past season, Thomas captured the PGA Championship, the Dell Technologies Championship during the FedEx Cup playoffs and then the FedEx Cup title at the Tour Championship in Atlanta.

Thomas also played in his first Presidents Cup last week, where the U.S. beat the International team 19-11.

By shooting a nine-under-par 63 at the U.S. Open in Erin Hills, Thomas set the championship record for scoring in relation to par. He finished the season ranked fourth in the World behind Johnson, Spieth and Matsuyama.

Thomas — an Alabama alum — won the CIMB Classic in Malaysia last fall — a title he will defend next week.

“I’ll just continue to do what I have,” he also said. “I don’t know who I heard it from back in college or whenever it was, but you just have to break it up. You have to have two to four goals that are very achievable, two to four goals that are in grasp but will be tough, and two to four goals that are maybe a little bit out of the realm and are going to be very difficult to do, but are somewhat achievable if you have a great year like I did this year.”

Thomas also reportedly won a $10 million bonus after claiming the Dell Technologies trophy.

CHARLOTTE, NC – AUGUST 12: Justin Thomas of the United States plays his shot from the 16th tee during the third round of the 2017 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club on August 12, 2017 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Justin Thomas won the 99th PGA Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina on Sunday to secure his first major title, and several of his shots stood out.

Justin Thomas PGA Championship highlights

One putt that particularly drove the crowd at Quail Hollow wild was a chip-in on the par-5 tenth hole. After sinking a 36-footer for birdie on hole No. 9, Thomas added another birdie from eight feet on the tenth when the ball hung on the edge of the cup for about 10 seconds before tumbling into the hole.

The Louisville, Kentucky native — who is now the World No. 6 golfer — also hit a tee shot on the tenth that hooked way left into the trees, then miraculously rebounded in the fairway. That put Thomas in a five-way tie for the lead with Francesco Molinari, Hideki Matsuyama, Kevin Kisner and Chris Stroud.

Thomas, 24, also wowed on the par-3 13th, where a chip-in from 40 feet for a birdie gave him a two-shot lead. He ultimately finished with a 72-hole total of eight-under 276, two strokes ahead of the runners-up, Molinari and Patrick Reed, who both ended with 67s, and Louis Oosthuizen, the 2010 British Open champion, who closed a 70.

“I just stayed patient and knew scores were not going to be crazy low,” Thomas said. “And that chip-in on 13 was huge.”

Thomas had made the cut for the U.S. Open earlier this year after carding a third-round 63 but fell behind eventual winner Brooks Koepka after three-putting three times on the final front nine. Thomas missed out on qualifying for the British Open, however, after posting a second-round 80.

“I just had an unbelievable calmness throughout the week, throughout the day,” added Thomas, who won $1.89 million. “I truly felt like I was going to win. I remember my girlfriend was supposed to fly out at about 7 and I was like, ‘You need to change your flight to later, because I don’t know, I just feel like I don’t want you to miss this. I feel like I’m going to get it done.’ I just was very confident. …

“I just didn’t get flustered. I felt like I kind of kept everything in front of me.”

Matsuyma, 28, was attempting to become the first Japanese player to win a men’s major but finished fifth after tying for second early in Sunday’s final round.

Jordan Spieth was seeking to continue his winning streak this year after claiming the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February and the Travelers Championship and British Open earlier this summer. However, the 24-year-old winner of the 2015 Masters and U.S. Open fell ten strokes short in his bid to become the youngest player to win all four majors (Masters, U.S. Open, British Open, PGA Championship). With rounds of 72-73-71-70, Spieth —the World No. 2 — finished 3 over.

Rory McIlroy, meanwhile, announced he could be out for the rest of the year after suffering a rib injury. The 28-year-old Northern Irishman — the World No. 4 — finished Sunday’s Championship with a round of 68 that left him tied for 22nd overall.

“You might not see me until next year,” McIlroy said after finishing one over par for the event. “You might see me in a couple of weeks’ time. It really depends.”

McIlroy sustained the injury earlier this year and said it had flared up again, which is why he had decided to take an indefinite break from the Tour.

“Right now, I can feel my left rhomboid going into spasm,” he said. “Inside of my left arm goes numb.”

The Belfast native has not won since the Tour Championship a year ago and has not had a major victory since 2014, when he captured his second P.G.A. Championship in Louisville.

CHARLOTTE, NC – AUGUST 12: Justin Thomas of the United States plays his shot from the 16th tee during the third round of the 2017 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club on August 12, 2017 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)