PNC CHAMPIONSHIP

December 18, 2022

Justin Thomas

The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club

Quick Quotes

DOUG MILNE: J.T., I know past champion, always fun for you to be back here. A few comments on how special the week was.

JUSTIN THOMAS: It's a lot of fun as always. We obviously didn't play very well today but it's just, you know, usually you're doing those battles solo, just Bones and I and to be able to pep each other up and I don't want to say feed off each other but just try to get in a little bit of momentum with your dad and try to win a tournament is pretty cool.

But we had a very, very special great -- just an unbelievable last two days.

Q. Just the way you guys all rode the momentum together yesterday, does that go in reverse when you're struggling?

JUSTIN THOMAS: I kind of said that to my mom today on 12. I was like, yesterday, we were making putts and feeding off each other. I was like, this also happens. They were -- they got on a couple little runs. We started off, you know, the first six holes fine but it was just kind of the same. It was like we couldn't as a group make the same putts on the same holes or hit a couple tight and just get something going.

Yeah, we were both very, very flat today but you know, we still tried to make the most of it.

Q. What's that like when you're trying to summon the game?

JUSTIN THOMAS: It's tough, because obviously it's not as easy as flipping a switch or saying, okay, hey, I'm going to start playing better now, because we would have. Clearly, we didn't. It's just one of those things. When you're playing well, it's easy and I'm sure Tiger is going to have -- it's probably a great learning opportunity for Charlie of just being in competition with him and also for himself of, hey, I didn't have my best stuff, and maybe what was I thinking differently today than I was normally.

It's the same for myself. Yesterday was just see pin, see where I wanted it to start and see where it wanted to come down, and seemed like it did it. And today was just try to find the center of the clubface and get it in the middle of the fairway.

Q. On those drives, how much extra speed does that give you?

JUSTIN THOMAS: It's probably, I would say three- to five-mile-an-hour club speed and probably four to six, seven, ball speed. I know I feel comfortable that if I hit it solid I can fly it 315 or so, maybe 320 doing that.

This course is very, very generous off the tee and if my dad hits a good drive, I definitely have the opportunity to do it out here.

Q. When Tiger hits it past off the tee, what does it say about him?

JUSTIN THOMAS: I guess, yeah, you could really write that however you wanted to do (laughter).

I could say that -- got to be really careful the next things I say here.

A little bit of both. I mean, I'm -- it says a lot about him. Every day is different. I mean, yesterday he was clearly moving really -- I could just tell on the range seeing him hit balls, you could just see, he was moving really well, and today obviously wasn't moving as well.

But yeah, we've hit balls at home and like I mean I wasn't joking yesterday when I said it, like he's -- when he's feeling well, he's longer than I am with a driver. I might be able to hit it further than him if I go after one but consistently, I mean, he's hitting it farther than I am right now.

But I'm sure he would trade ten yards to be able to walk every day and feeling well. But yeah, it's very impressive. You can tell, he's very, very strong, very fit right now. It's just dealing with the other issues.

Q. You've spent enough time around Tiger, do we see a different side of him this week because of the atmosphere and with Charlie and you and your dad?

JUSTIN THOMAS: I think so. There's definitely more banter and conversation between shots, or even during shots. We would never have that much going on during a tournament. I know I wouldn't, and he certainly wouldn't.

So it's kind of like we said -- or like I said yesterday, we obviously want to play well. We want to perform well for our partners. We want to have fun out here, make a lot of birdies, but it's just not -- it's just not the main priority. It's wanting to be out here with our -- my dad and his son.

Q. Did you respond to the note you received?

JUSTIN THOMAS: No, I saved it. It was quite the move, losing to us by three or whatever at the time. I kind of had an image in my head of us winning the tournament by a couple and giving it back to him saying, "Congrats on your fourth place finish" or something. But you don't really get to brag much if you don't win the tournament, either.