Justin Thomas has never been afraid to speak his mind, earning him the respect of golf fans alongside his superb ability.
Thomas is a two-time major champion, although his recent efforts have fallen short of those standards he set for himself once upon a time.
The American reached number one in the world rankings back in 2018, after winning the PGA Championship in 2017.
That maiden major success was followed by his win at the same event in 2022, which represented his most recent title before he returned to success this year.
Thomas claimed his 16th PGA Tour win at the RBC Heritage, and showed plenty of signs that he can get back to his best next year.
The ‘ridiculous’ rule Justin Thomas wanted changed in 2019
Intriguingly, there was somewhat of an outburst from Thomas in the thick of his prime, when he stood up for his fellow professional Denny McCarthy.
McCarthy was involved in quite the controversy during his second round of the 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open, when he received a two-stroke penalty for an alleged violation of Rule 10.2b(4).
The rule states that a caddie cannot deliberately stand in a location on or close to an extension of the line of play behind the ball when a player begins taking a stance and until the shot is played.
McCarthy’s caddie Derek Smith was adjudged to have violated that rule after the player had hit his second shot in the water at the par-5 15th at TPC Scottsdale.
Reacting to the two-stroke penalty, a furious Thomas wrote on X: “This is ridiculous… the fact this is a penalty is mind-blowing. USGA this needs to be changed ASAP… there is nothing about this rule that makes the game better.”
READ MORE: Justin Thomas responds to Nick Faldo’s comments that modern golf is easier than when he played
If Denny McCarthy thought he deserved a penalty for his WM Phoenix Open rule violation
The rule is still enforced to this day, but notably McCarthy’s penalty was indeed rescinded after further investigation.
He was in the middle of his third round of the 2019 WM Phoenix Open when told his second round 67 would now be a 65.
Speaking of the incident, McCarthy said: “Caddies want to see what the players see. It’s not so much about alignment.
“They’re trying to assess the shot with the player; I just happened to be in there next to the ball, with him, on the angle that my shot was on, trying to assess the shot. In my opinion and many others, I think, also, that’s not a penalty.
“If he was in there deliberately looking at where I’m lining up, and I’m setting up to the ball, and I don’t back away, yeah, I could see how that’s a two-shot penalty.”
Continuing the drama shortly after, the incident was revisited by the USGA and The R&A following a dialogue with players and in cooperation with the PGA Tour rules team.
And an additional review of video footage meant no penalty was appropriate, with a similar scenario also playing out with Thomas himself.
McCarthy would go on to finish T33 at the PGA Tour event, with Thomas finishing third as their compatriot Rickie Fowler clinched the title.
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