Justin Thomas has made it very clear on numerous occasions that he doesn’t back down from answering difficult questions.
Nor does Thomas shy away from sharing his opinion on how things can improve on the PGA Tour.
In January of this year, Thomas wrote an open letter to PGA Tour members regarding how vital it is for the players to be as open and accessible as possible to TV companies.
So he doesn’t just talk the talk, he walks the walk as well.
The 32-year-old practiced what he preaches by appearing on the YouTube channel of content creator Micah Morris.
Morris competed in The Q at Myrtle Beach in May – a qualifier featuring 16 content creators competing for a spot at the Oneflight Myrtle Beach Classic on the PGA Tour.
However, he fell short in the end, carding a five-over par 77. He is a popular figure in the world of golf content creation.
But when speaking to Thomas, he asked him a very serious question about a big recent controversy.
Justin Thomas delivers verdict on Sam Burns US open drop controversy
Incredibly, Sam Burns was denied a drop on the 15th hole during the final round of the US Open at Oakmont two weeks ago.
Burns reacted to the US Open ruling controversy after his round and actually seemed extremely calm, given the circumstances.
But what did Thomas make of it all?
Morris asked the two-time major champion: “With Sam Burns not getting a drop, did you think that was crazy?“
Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images
Thomas said: “Yeh I do. It’s one of those things. I don’t know if a rules official made themself involved when they didn’t need to be. 10 times out of 10 we take a drop out of there without getting a rules official in a normal tournament. So it’s either we don’t understand the rule, or they need to change the rule, because there is no scenario where he should have had to play that shot.“
Morris responded by saying: “I feel like he handled it really well.“
And Thomas replied: “He did, he handled it better than I would have, that’s for sure.“
What Burns actually said about US Open drop controversy
As Thomas said, Burns handled the whole situation really well indeed.
The 28-year-old from Louisiana spoke to reporters after his round and responded when asked what he really thought about the decision not to award him a drop from the standing water in the fairway.
“Yeah, that fairway slopes left to right,“ Burns explained. “That’s kind of the low part of the fairway there. When I walked into it, clearly you could see water coming up. Took practice swings and it’s just water splashing every single time. Called a rules official over, they disagreed. I looked at it again. I thought maybe I should get a second opinion. That rules official also disagreed.
“At the end of the day, it’s not up to me, it’s up to the rules official. That’s kind of that.“
That was really impressive from Burns. In the heat of the moment, it would have been so easy for him to lose his cool and take a pot-shot at the USGA.
What must have made it even more difficult to take for Burns was the fact that players were being handed drops left, right and centre at Oakmont during the final round of the US Open.
It seems like the drop ruling fiasco at the US Open may have had a different ending had Thomas been on the receiving end.