For the first time in three years, Justin Thomas returned to the Presidents Cup as a father. As he walked to the first tee at Medinah Country Club on Thursday, his daughter Molly was there to watch him.
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Golf Digest shared the heartwarming moment on Instagram, and fans quickly filled the comments. Though the adorable clip is only a few seconds long, seeing Thomas begin his return with his daughter present with him made made the moment even more meaningful.
The clip was shared to Golf Digest’s Instagram account during the opening round. The caption read: “Justin Thomas seeing his daughter on the first tee of the Presidents Cup 💛” In the clip, Thomas walked toward the grandstand after catching a glimpse of Molly Grace, his daughter. Grace was with Thomas’s wife, Jillian Wisniewski, on the first tee. His reaction was priceless.
Thomas stretched out his arms to take the toddler in his arms and then hugged her close to his chest. As soon as the video was posted, the comments under the post quickly filled up.
One fan called the moment exactly what golf is all about, while another said having Molly there was the “best first-tee motivation” Thomas could ask for. Others could not get over how much Molly has grown, with one fan calling her cute. Rightfully, so.
Molly Grace Thomas was born on November 18, 2024, at Jupiter Medical Center, per Thomas’ own Instagram announcement. “Our little girl is here,” he wrote at the time. “And we couldn’t be more in love. Both momma, who is a superhero, and Molly are healthy and doing well.” And since then, she has almost always been by her dad’s side.
She was present during the 2025 Masters Par 3 Contest, where Thomas played alongside Jordan Spieth and their families. A week later, she was there again when Thomas won the 2025 RBC Heritage, his first victory as a father and his first win in three years.
At that time, an emotional Thomas told CBS reporter Amanda Balionis after the win: “I’ve worked my butt off and stayed patient, stayed positive. I got a great wife, great team, and now a great daughter.” Fatherhood, as you would guess, has changed him as a person, too. All by his own account.
“It was my first win as a father,” Thomas told Town & Country after the RBC Heritage. “Having my wife Jill and my daughter Molly there was really cool.” When he celebrated Grace’s first birthday last year, he wrote on Instagram, “Happy 1st birthday to our sweet girl Molly. Hoping @jillian_thomas3 and I can do our best to make you smile and happy like your swing does. Where does the time go!!!” Really.
Now, with his daughter’s presence at the Presidents Cup adds another layer to that story.
Thomas, who has a stellar record (10-3-2) at the Presidents Cup, was selected by U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker as one of six captain’s picks for the 2026 Presidents Cup. He missed the 2024 edition at Royal Montreal entirely. His return to the competition at Medinah, one of the most storied venues in American golf, brings with it a full family in the stands.
However, not everyone has been welcoming.
One fan questioned Thomas’ captain’s pick and said he should not have been on the team. Another fan had a much simpler complaint and wished the video had sound. The different reactions show how quickly a sweet golf moment can turn into a debate in the comments.
Thomas first played in the Presidents Cup in 2017 and has represented the U.S. in several team events since then. He is a two-time major champion, having won the 2017 PGA Championship and the 2022 PGA Championship.
His experience in team golf makes him a valuable presence for the Americans, and Brandt Snedeker’s decision to pick him as one of his six captain’s selections shows how much the team values that experience.
Justin Thomas joins a strong U.S. lineup that includes Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, Patrick Cantlay, Sam Burns, Russell Henley, Cameron Young, Wyndham Clark, Chris Gotterup, Jackson Koivun and Jacob Bridgeman. With so many experienced players around him, Thomas will have plenty of familiar faces as he makes his return to the Presidents Cup.
The U.S. team is chasing its 11th straight Presidents Cup win at Medinah, with the competition running from September 24 to 27 on Course No. 3. Thomas’ first-tee moment with Molly may have lasted only a few seconds, but it was clearly special. Walking out in Team USA colors with his daughter watching was the kind of moment he had worked toward for three years. After all that time away, getting to share it with his daughter made the return even more meaningful.