Justin Thomas is enjoying a little extended vacation this week in Italy after he and Team USA lost the 2023 Ryder Cup to Europe near Rome.
The 30-year-old two-time major champion went 1-2-1 at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club, where his lone win came during Sunday singles against Sepp Straka, 2 up. Thomas, who now holds a 7-4-2 record in the Ryder Cup, also attended Patrick Cantlay’s wedding down the road in Rome on Monday, a day after the U.S. lost the Cup.
While on his vacation, Thomas took to social media to respond to a 3,000-word excerpt of Alan Shipnuck’s new book, “LIV and Let Die: The Inside Story of the War between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf” that was shared on Wednesday. The book is available Oct. 17.
The excerpt included some juicy and Not Safe For Work comments about the battle for supremacy in professional golf over the last two and a half years, but Thomas didn’t much care for what was shared.
In response to part of the book where a former Ryder Cup teammate is critical of Rory McIlroy, Thomas spoke up “on behalf of a lot of Tour players” to say they are “sick” of Shipnuck “doing what he does.”
I’d like to speak on behalf of a lot of Tour players and say we’re sick of @AlanShipnuck doing what he does. Bring positivity and good stories to help grow the game of golf, not try and make money bashing guys, earning zero trust, with a lot of incorrect information. Ridiculous
— Justin Thomas (@JustinThomas34) October 5, 2023
Brooks Koepka – who was featured in the excerpt with an expletive-riddled take on “country club kids who talk (expletive) about me,” allegedly referring to the likes of Thomas, Jordan Spieth and others – said LIV Golf players feel the same way about the Fire Pit Collective writer and author.
And LIV players… https://t.co/iVMXUlb99p
— Brooks Koepka (@BKoepka) October 5, 2023
It didn’t take long for Shipnuck to join the party and defend himself online, saying that Thomas wants “PR or hagiography, not journalism.” He also defended his use of anonymous sources, who gave a few of the more controversial opinions.
What JT wants is p.r,, or hagiography, not journalism. I’ve written many feel-good stories about golfers and the game, but scrutiny and criticism is sometimes warranted. LlV v. Tour has been incredibly divisive and I captured that. It’s not my role to whitewash things. https://t.co/UXZoWMKRpB
— Alan Shipnuck (@AlanShipnuck) October 5, 2023
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