Justin Thomas Shares Hilarious Exchange With Calum Hill at Scottish Open That Left Him 'Scared'
Memorial Tournament presented by Workday Justin Thomas of the United States looks down the 9th fairway during the first round of the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday at Muirfield Village Golf Club on June 6, 2024 in Dublin, Ohio. Dublin Ohio United States PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxFRA Copyright: xAmyxLemusx originalFilename:lemus-memorial240606_npCnD.jpg
Memorial Tournament presented by Workday Justin Thomas of the United States looks down the 9th fairway during the first round of the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday at Muirfield Village Golf Club on June 6, 2024 in Dublin, Ohio. Dublin Ohio United States PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxFRA Copyright: xAmyxLemusx originalFilename:lemus-memorial240606_npCnD.jpg
Shouting "fore" mid-swing is about the last thing a golfer expects from his playing partner. Justin Thomas found that out the hard way during the third round of the Genesis Scottish Open.
Thomas was mid-swing on the tee when his playing partner, Scottish pro Calum Hill, bellowed "fore" beside him.
Thomas got rattled, shot Hill a look, and later went straight to Instagram to share the moment.
March 5, 2026, Orlando, Florida, USA: Justin Thomas hits out of the rough on the 6th hole during the first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational Pro-Am presented by Mastercard at Bay Hill Club & Lodge. Orlando USA - ZUMAw109 20260305_fap_w109_031 Copyright: xDebbyxWongx
March 5, 2026, Orlando, Florida, USA: Justin Thomas hits out of the rough on the 6th hole during the first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational Pro-Am presented by Mastercard at Bay Hill Club & Lodge. Orlando USA - ZUMAw109 20260305_fap_w109_031 Copyright: xDebbyxWongx
He posted it on his Instagram Story, writing, "Can confirm, this scared the living $*** out of me 馃ぃ." What makes this instance unsurprising is Hill's background.
Hill is a Scottish professional accustomed to links courses with tight corridors and adjacent fairways. On those tracks, shouting "fore" as a warning is second nature. Thomas, who spends most of his time on wider parkland courses in the United States, simply wasn't expecting it.
Links courses and American parkland courses operate differently. On U.S. courses, a mid-swing "fore" shout from a playing partner is unusual. At a Scottish links, it is standard procedure that golf balls travel at over 100 miles per hour, and the R&A and USGA's code of conduct calls for a "fore" shout whenever a ball has a chance of hitting someone.
Nevertheless, Thomas finished the Genesis Scottish Open at 2-under 278, posting rounds of 69-67-69 before a difficult final round. A penalty drop after his second shot found the left native area on the fourth hole set the tone for a stumbling finish, including a triple bogey. He slid several positions despite a birdie on the second hole.
His week in Scotland also revealed something else entirely.
Justin Thomas Told Max Homa He'd Rather Be Home in Kentucky
While Thomas was in Scotland preparing for The Open, his friend Max Homa was playing the ISCO Championship in Kentucky, Thomas's home state.
Homa revealed during the tournament that Thomas had been texting him from across the Atlantic.
"Been texting with Justin Thomas, who's from here, and he's like jealous that we're here and I'm laughing because it's 12,000 degrees and he's in a short sleeve in Scotland," Homa said after his opening round at the ISCO, according to a report by HITC.
The ISCO Championship is a tournament Thomas has a strong personal connection to, given his Kentucky roots. The scheduling left him in Scotland instead, preparing for The Open rather than playing a home event.
Thomas heads to Royal Birkdale next week for The Open Championship, which begins July 16. Can he carry the lighter moments of his Scottish week into a strong performance at the final major of 2026?
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Written by
Sneha Abraham
Edited by
Siddharth Shirwadkar