Justin Thomas does something which is ‘very much’ like Tiger Woods and shows why ‘so many’ are big fans of his

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One of the biggest mistakes the PGA Tour has arguably made over the last two decades is not do a lot more to prepare for life after Tiger Woods.

Obviously, replacing Tiger Woods is all but impossible. There is an argument that he is the greatest golfer of all-time, while few have done more to change the game.

But it started to become clear that Woods was actually not invincible from around 2008. While he would return to world number one after that season – and win another major – he was never quite the same dominant force again.

Nevertheless, Woods remains arguably the biggest star on the PGA Tour.

Justin Thomas compared with Tiger Woods following the Valspar Championship

Not only does that highlight how important the 49-year-old is in golf’s history, but it also speaks to the problem the tour now has making new stars.

Previously it was claimed that only Woods, Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth move the needle when it comes to television ratings. But perhaps there is better news for the tour following the Valspar Championship.

While the Valspar is not a marquee event by any means, there was a grandstand finish, with Justin Thomas and Viktor Hovland duelling it out. Thomas would have had many of the fans on side.

And speaking on The Smylie Show, Smylie Kaufman explained how Thomas walking one putt in during that final round evoked memories of his good friend.

“I was standing on 15 tee box when JT made his putt and I just saw the putter raise, which by the way, I think we need to talk a little bit about, why I think there’s so many people that are fans of JT, which is when he’s playing well, he’s so much fun to watch,” he said.

“He’s very much like Tiger, and maybe not quite to that degree, but he’s an entertainer. He leans in, putter raises, club twirls. In the moment, it just feels like this is a guy that’s playing some incredible golf, and he’s leaning into his ‘swaggerness’.”

What Thomas said about Tiger Woods ahead of the 2019 Presidents Cup

Thomas will have learned so much from Woods over the years. And one of the best experiences will have probably come at the 2019 Presidents Cup.

Woods was the playing-captain at Royal Melbourne and played two matches alongside Thomas over the first two days. In fact, they would go unbeaten as USA just about managed to retain the trophy.

And speaking ahead of the event, Thomas explained why he expected the Australian crowds to cheer for Woods following concerns from Adam Scott.

“I mean he’s Tiger Woods. Everyone, it doesn’t matter where you go in the world, I think people are going to root for him. Obviously, they would rather the people on their own team play better, but yeah, I think that just the fact that who is he speaks for itself,” he said.

“I understand where Adam’s coming from. You, obviously, want the home team to pull for your home team, but at the end of the day, I’m definitely glad we have him on our team.”

Woods proved to be the one player to boast a flawless record that week, while no player on either side won more points than Thomas.

Clearly, the pair are particularly comfortable when they find themselves in the spotlight.