"I want to be beating him one day" - Justin Thomas inspired to play golf after watching Tiger Woods win the 2000 PGA Championship

Justin Thomas spoke about Tiger Woods' influence on him 24 years ago at the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky. Thomas was inspired by the 82-time PGA Tour winner to pursue the sport of golf after Woods' iconic 2000 PGA Championship victory.

The Louisville native Thomas was present at the 2000 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club as a seven-year-old boy. Tiger Woods won the 2000 edition of the Major in great fashion and established his dominance in the sport, inspiring young Justin Thomas to follow in his footsteps.

Thomas said in an interview with the PGA Tour as he competes with his idol Tiger Woods at the 2024 PGA Championship in his hometown:

"And I just remember after that week [2000 PGA Championship], I'm like, "I want to do this," and, "This is unbelievable. This guy's [Tiger Woods] a freak of nature and I want to be him one day," or "I want to be beating him one day." "

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How did Tiger Woods win the 2000 PGA Championship?

At the 2000 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club, Tiger Woods defeated Bob May in a three-hole playoff to gain the second of his four PGA Championship victories. Woods had to make a sliding seven-foot putt for birdie at the 18th hole to force a playoff with May for the title. Woods made it in style and says that it was the most important putt of his career.

The four-time PGA Championship winner has been known for iconically chasing his 20-foot birdie putt into the hole during the first playoff hole with veteran Bob May who was looking to earn his first title. Woods successfully grabbed the Wannamaker Cup after three playoff holes and became the first golfer since Ben Hogan to win three out of four golf Majors in a single season and soon completed the Tiger Slam.

Justin Thomas recalled watching his idol at the 2000 PGA Championship and said:

"Being from Louisville and, you know, him [Tiger Woods] winning the PGA there in that playoff with Bob May. I mean, I was there as my first, I guess, big, major, big tournament that I can remember a lot of. I just remember watching from the clubhouse when he had that putt on [hole] No. 18 to get in a playoff and just the, you know, the half a second, one second delay of just the crowd going nuts and then going in on TV, it was, that was pretty cool. And that's when I was kind of old enough to where I was playing enough golf. Playing competitively."

Thomas is currently in P10 at the 2024 PGA Championship while Xander Schauffele is in the lead.