Golf stars Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth have a strong friendship, but it seems the duo aren’t afraid to put their alliance to one side when it comes to battling for the game’s biggest titles
Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth have been friends for almost 20 years(Image: Getty Images)
Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas have one of golf’s strongest friendships, dating back to their teenage years on the junior circuit.
Spieth, 31, and Thomas, 32, teed off in the US Open on Thursday at the challenging Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania. Both players will be eager to end a dry spell in the majors by conquering Oakmont’s formidable course during the prestigious tournament.
Speaking on Netflix’s latest golf documentary, Full Swing, Thomas displayed his fierce side, however, by admitting that he is happy to put his 20-year-long friendship with Spieth on the back burner in order to achieve his goals.
“He’s one of my best friends, we’re always going to pull for each other,” Thomas said on the first episode of the show. “But at the same time, I hope that I beat him in every single tournament that we play in for the rest of our life.”
Spieth boasts an illustrious career with three major titles under his belt, but has not secured one of the game’s premium events since his triumph at The Open in 2017. Thomas, on the other hand, has two majors to his name, winning the PGA Championship in 2017 and 2022.
While they will be going head-to-head at Oakmont, it appears Thomas has always enjoyed a competitive streak with his closest friend. Speaking in 2017, he opened up on how they’ve always gone toe-to-toe, regardless of the tournament.
“I mean, we’re always competing,” he said. “Whether it was we want to be at the top of the Rolex Rankings in junior golf; we want to be the low junior golfer in the US.
“Amateur; we want to make the cut as an amateur in a Tour event; we want to win college player of the year and we want to lead our team’s scoring average. It’s just now we’re at the top level.”
Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth aren’t afraid to challenge each other on the course(Image: Al Chang/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
The duo, who grew especially close after playing all over the world as teenagers, have been spotted on vacation in the Bahamas together, while Spieth was also Thomas’ best man when he married Jillian Wisniewski. Despite their highly competitive nature, there is a more tender side to their bromance.
In January 2024, Thomas lifted the lid to GOLF’s Subpar podcast on his best friend’s contribution to his wedding. “I hate to do this, but man, he crushed it,” Thomas said on Spieth’s best man speech.
“I’ll give him an A+. He didn’t lose the rings, which, if you know Jordan, that’s always on the table. He had a great speech. Didn’t throw me under the bus but also had a few subtle jabs in there.”
Spieth and Thomas also bought shares in the 49ers group, which own Leeds United. Yet, alliances will once again be tested as the pair battle it out for the US Open.
With Oakmont’s damp conditions worrying some of the finest names in the game – from Bryson DeChambeau to Rory McIlroy – Spieth, who is still battling back after wrist surgery, has revealed that he is ready for whatever Oakmont throws his way.
“This course is built to be like this,” he told the Associated Press recently. “So they’re not doing a whole lot different to the golf course. You hit a good shot, you get rewarded for it here. And if you don’t, you’re in big trouble. It’s pure golf, no funny business about it.”
