Just last month two-time major champion Justin Thomas underwent a successful microdiscectomy to alleviate a disc problem.

Still early in his recovery, the golfer found an unwanted parallel with his golf hero, Tiger Woods. While speaking on Trey Wingo Golf, he revealed talking to Woods about the injury. Disappointed at not making it to the Hero World Challenge, Thomas called Woods to inform him of not being able to participate.

I said I've I've grown up wanted to be like you in so many different ways and getting a back surgery is not one of them that I everwanted to be like you at."

In the late 2000s and early 2010s when Thomas was making a name for himself, Woods was the biggest thing in the sport. But only to follow in Woods' footsteps in battling back injury was a shock. As fans may know, Woods is still recovering from his back surgery, just like Thomas. And while Thomas was disappointed, Woods took a moment to lift his spirits.

"He just laughed. He's joked and and I've messed with him before saying, you know, it's like, 'Oh, would you do this?' And if he says yeah, I'm like, 'All right, great. I'm going to do something different then.' But, uh, no, he's he's been been there in good spirits."

And that's just the most recent Tiger Woods-Justin Thomas incident

Living near each other in Jupiter, Florida, the two have grown close over the years, spending time with each other’s families and often playing together when healthy. Thomas has also built a rapport with Woods’ son Charlie, something fans see annually at the PNC Championship.

During his press conference at the Hero, Thomas revealed that fatherhood has shown him a new side of Tiger. Woods checked in regularly before and after the birth of Thomas’ daughter, Molly, even calling the night before Jill Thomas underwent surgery.

 “I hung up and looked at Jill, and she said, ‘I bet you didn’t think that would happen when you were growing up,’” Thomas said. “And I didn’t.”

Written by

Aditi Singh

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar