Just a year ago, Justin Thomas arrived at the FedEx St. Jude Championship with the anticipation of fatherhood just around the corner. This week, he returns to the event as a father and navigates the dual roles of a PGA Tour pro and new dad, learning to balance the demands of both. For Thomas, the transition into parenthood hasn’t just reshaped his life at home. It’s also forced a quiet but significant recalibration of his entire approach to the sport he’s spent his entire life working on. And while there’s no manual for balancing both, Thomas made his priorities clear in a message to his wife.

Justin Thomas is grateful for his wife

On Wednesday, Justin Thomas sat down with the media post his practice round and answered several questions related to his performances this year. During that press conference, he was asked a straightforward question about how his practice routine has changed since becoming a dad. And his response went beyond talk of training routines or tweaks to his schedule. It was a direct acknowledgment to his wife, Jillian, and a window into the mindset shifts taking place behind the scenes.

“First off, I’m very, very fortunate to have a great wife in Jill who is understanding that this isn’t just a fun hobby that I’m doing; this is obviously my job,” Thomas said. “More so, the changes are when I’m away from the golf course. It’s just not that I’m able to be gone for six or eight hours during the day, and I just come home and sit on the couch,” he continued. It’s a common misconception about professional athletes that the hours spent competing or practicing are the only ones that count. But for Justin Thomas, who welcomed daughter Molly Grace on November 18, 2024, there’s a newfound awareness that the second shift begins the moment he walks through the front door.

“I’m well aware that not only is that what I feel like I should do, but it’s also what I want to do. I don’t want to be a father who is not really present or helping very much. We’re very fortunate that I have a wife who does so much and helps, and it’s nice to return the favor when I can,” Thomas added, as he entered this week fresh after a two-week break. He expressed a strong sense of responsibility and desire to be an active, present father, not just out of obligation, but because it’s genuinely important to him. His words show appreciation for everything Jillian does, and a recognition that parenting is a team effort—one he wants to be fully part of whenever possible.

And with this new responsibility, Justin Thomas is also learning to do better, particularly when it comes to efficiency during his hours practicing — “I’m way more structured in my practice. I think in the beginning it was — I didn’t realize how often I would go to the course, not really knowing what I was doing. But I need to know what I’m doing and try to just manage the time, and make it much more efficient. I feel like my practice has been a lot more efficient.” Thomas has learned that during the time he’s away from home and his father’s duties, he needs to maximize his output and efficiency on the range. Thomas joins a growing list of golfer dads — like Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth — who’ve openly discussed how fatherhood changed their perspective and heightened their motivation

“But I’m still spending a lot, a lot of hours out at the course. It’s just maybe a little more refined and productive,” he added. But despite the demands of fatherhood and the transition into this new chapter, Justin Thomas hasn’t faltered, as he had a strong season this year.

Thomas’ stellar season despite new dad duties

Despite the demands of new fatherhood, Justin Thomas has maintained an impressive level of performance throughout the 2025 season. Far from letting his personal life slow him down, Thomas has demonstrated remarkable consistency on the PGA Tour, securing one win at the 2025 RBC Heritage in April. “Wins, they don’t come very often in our sport, and anytime that any of us are lucky enough to do it, it’s a special moment. It was my first win as a father and having my wife Jill and my daughter Molly there was really cool, and my dad was there,” Thomas told Town & Country magazine after his first win since the 2022 PGA Championship.

This season, Thomas has had seven top-10 finishes, which include three runner-up finishes, the last being at the 2025 Truist Championship, where Sepp Straka earned his second title of the season. Justin Thomas’ recent top-10 finish at the 2025 Travelers Championship further exemplifies his unwavering focus and determination. While his performances at the majors this year haven’t been reflective of his skills, his ability to remain competitive week after week underscores a professional resilience that few players can match, especially given the significant changes happening in his home life.

Rather than being distracted or fatigued, Thomas appears to have channeled the new motivation fatherhood brings into sharper concentration and discipline on the course, proving that personal milestones don’t have to come at the expense of professional success.