Justin Thomas joins Will Zalatoris, Rickie Fowler in slamming golf journalist over a write-up on a possible ‘coup d’état’ by Patrick Cantlay

Justin Thomas has joined Will Zalatoris, Rickie Fowler, and Adam Scott in extending support to Patrick Cantlay against Golfweek's article that accused him of a possible coup d'état.

A few days ago, Eamon Lynch took serious shots at Cantlay in his writeup in Golfweek. He accused Cantlay of manipulating players against the PGA Tour-PIF deal.

Cantlay is part of the Player Advisory Council. A players-only meeting was held on Monday, June 27, in Detroit, ahead of the event, where the framework agreement of the PIF-PGA Tour deal was discussed.

Thomas, Zalatoris, Fowler, and Scott shared an identical lengthy message on their social media accounts on Thursday, expressing their support for Cantlay.

The post read:

"These are serious times for golf and there are many serious matters. Should articles like this form part of the debate? Putting aside personal barbs and fluffy adjectives would be helpful, dealing with facts presented with integrity far superior. Talk of a Cantlay coup d'état - really? Perhaps some proof rather than faceless speculation?

"Cheap shots at players 'value of charisma'? Clearly, many companies value the players. Those players must be entitled to some time and information to decide what is palatable and what is not, after an about-face of Tour management policy. The process will likely be best served with objectivity and truth."

While Thomas and Fowler are currently competing at the Rocket Mortgage Classic 2023, Scott and Cantlay have skipped this week. As for Zalatoris, he is out of action due to an injury.

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What did Eamon Lynch write about Patrick Cantlay in his article?

Eamon Lynch wrote a piece in Golfweek on June 24 that talked about the PGA Tour's deal with the Public Investment Fund. The article started with sympathy for Jay Monahan amid his temporary withdrawal from CEO duties due to health complications.

However, soon the focus turned towards Patrick Cantlay, and Lynch dedicated several paragraphs to criticizing him.

Lynch wrote, as per Golfweek:

"Patrick Cantlay, who carries himself with the assurance of a man convinced he’d be a partner at Goldman Sachs if he wasn’t merely sporting its logo on his cap, has been trying to rally players against the deal with the Saudis, and against members of the Tour’s policy board who architected or support it."

He further wrote that Cantlay's current stance against the Saudi-backed circuit was not because of morality but because he had personal profit from the assistance of LIV.

"Existing PGA Tour incentives won’t much benefit Cantlay," Lynch continued. "He won’t get rich from the Player Impact Program that bonuses stars on fan engagement since the only needle he moves is the gas gauge on his car."

Earlier, when Patrick Cantlay was asked about his reaction to the surprising turn of events between LIV and the PGA, he said he was confused about what was going on and was trying to understand the deal.

He was quoted as saying via ASAP Sports:

"It seems really complicated. I don't want to get ahead of myself and form an opinion like that until I know all the facts and know what it's about."