Golf IQ Golf Dad Part 3: Mike Thomas on raising a future major champion
Feb 16, 2026
Mike Thomas, PGA professional and father of major champion Justin Thomas, shares his coaching roots and parenting approach. He contrasts old-school teaching with modern methods. He explains letting kids find their own passion, focusing on process over results, and when parents should step back and hand coaching to pros.
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Old-School Toughness Vs Modern Tools
- Mike Thomas contrasts old-school, harsh coaching with today's tech-enabled, gentler approaches to teaching golf.
- He credits modern tools like high-speed video and launch monitors for speeding improvement and reducing guesswork.
Letting Passion Grow Naturally
- Mike never pushed Justin to love golf and simply provided access and opportunity at the club while he worked long hours.
- Justin gravitated to golf on his own and spent many hours at the course hitting balls because he enjoyed it.
Watch Parent-Child Dynamics Closely
- When teaching juniors, invite parents to observe so you can gauge the parent-child dynamic rather than banish them.
- If a parent berates the child during a lesson, expect that dynamic to be worse away from the lesson and intervene accordingly.