Justin Thomas’s comments about wife and Rory McIlroy speak volumes about Open star
The Shocking Rivalry: Justin Thomas’s Candid Confession About Rory McIlroy
Justin Thomas and Rory McIlroy share a close bond on the PGA Tour, but when it comes to the Ryder Cup, their friendship transforms into fierce rivalry. Despite their camaraderie outside the tournament, Thomas, 31, and a crucial player for Team USA, has openly admitted to ‘hating’ the Northern Irishman during this high-stakes event.
Thomas’s Ryder Cup record is impressive, with victories in both 2018 and 2021. His stats stand at 7-4-2, including an unbeaten streak in singles matches. However, the 2023 Ryder Cup was a setback, with Team Europe securing victory at 16 1/2-11 1/2. Despite this, Thomas contributed significantly, earning half a point in the four-ball and a full point in the singles.
Beyond national pride, Thomas grapples with the additional challenge of facing McIlroy, a friend and respected rival. Last year, Thomas revealed: “I would say I would just kind of channel the things that I feel because it’s nothing personal. Rory is a great example. I love Rory. We get along extremely well. He’s been a role model of mine. He was super nice to me when I was first starting up. He still is.”
Their rivalry intensifies during the Ryder Cup, with Thomas adding, “We see each other a bunch. Yeah, we played each other in the Ryder Cup and, yeah, we hated each other for 18 holes. Again, it’s nothing personal. It’s not a dislike as a person.” In a surprising twist, Thomas even stated that if his wife, Jill, were hypothetically on Team EU, she’d be his enemy during the competition. He explained, “My wife knows; if Jill teed it up in the Ryder Cup for the other team, I’m going to try to beat her pretty bad.”
As the 152nd Open Championship unfolds at Royal Troon, Thomas and McIlroy are once again in a heated battle. McIlroy is determined to end a decade-long major title drought, while Thomas aims to add to his impressive haul of two PGA Championships from 2017 and 2022.
McIlroy’s quest for glory is off to a rough start in Scotland. After the first round, he finds himself at T112, struggling with a +6 score. His round was marred by an immediate bogey on the opening hole, followed by a double bogey on the notorious Postage Stamp eighth after a battle with the bunkers, and another bogey on the tenth.
His struggles continued on the eleventh, where an out-of-bounds drive resulted in another double bogey. Additional missteps included a bogey on the 16th, bringing him to +6, and a final bogey on the 18th, sealing a disheartening +7 finish for the day. In stark contrast, Thomas is leading the pack at Troon, displaying his prowess with a stellar -3 score, capped by an electrifying birdie-birdie conclusion to his first 18 holes.
