Justin Thomas Jokes That Tiger Woods Was “Scared to Come Out and Play”

Thomas jokingly called out Woods for not playing after the PGA Tour restarted last month

Thomas Woods Banter
Justin Thomas and U.S. Team Captain Tiger Woods celebrate winning the Presidents Cup during the final round singles matches at the Presidents Cup at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club on December 15, 2019.
Chris Condon/PGA TOUR via Getty Images

Golf is in a fortunate spot, being an individual sport that can more safely return during the coronavirus pandemic. Yet, since it got back to the action last month, one key name was missing from the PGA Tour: Tiger Woods. That did not go unnoticed by other players, with fellow golfer Justin Thomas throwing some friendly banter his way ahead of Woods’s official return next week at the Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio.

Speaking to reporters after the third round of this weekend’s Workday Charity Open at the Muirfield Village Golf Club, Thomas said that he was excited to see Woods back on the links after weeks of pestering him:

I think he was starting to get a little sassy, I was telling him he’s scared to come out and play against all of us when he’s sitting at home, just trying to give him a hard time. I hadn’t played with him in a while. Just because I’ve been busy. I’ve been playing, and he’s been home. I’m glad that he’s finally coming back out.

The spice level of those comments may be low, but Thomas’s point is clear: golf just isn’t the same without Woods, who has sat out of official PGA Tour events since February. The last time the legendary golfer took the course for an event was during The Match, which he won alongside Peyton Manning against Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady.

With golf entering the bulk of its season as we get deeper into the summer, Woods’s return should help put more eyeballs on one of the few sports that can safely proceed during these trying times. That’s a win for everyone involved, and if it gets Thomas to stop badgering him to return to play, Woods will likely be doubly happy to be back in action.

Subscribe here for our free daily newsletter.

Read the full story at Yahoo Sports

Win the Ultimate Formula 1® Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix Experience

Want the F1 experience of a lifetime? Here’s your chance to win tickets to see Turn 18 Grandstand, one of Ultimate Formula 1® Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix’s most premier grandstands!