It’s quite common to see coaches and athletes of the same sport hang out with each other and grow strong bonds. But the same is not always true when talking about cross-sport relationships. But defying all odds, Justin Thomas and football coach Nick Saban have drawn a lot of inspiration and appreciation from each other. The duo first met when the former Alabama golf star visited Tuscaloosa on a trip. From there, they have bonded over their passion for sport. The two have also become regular playing partners. Saban even joined Thomas to play TPC Sawgrass’s Stadium Course’s famed closing three holes in 2022.

Tuscaloosa looked a little brighter this week when Justin Thomas returned to familiar grounds. The PGA Tour pro shared a carousel of photos on Instagram, capturing moments filled with nostalgia, laughter, and Crimson Tide pride. It captured moments from the new Alabama golf facility, the electric atmosphere of a night game at Bryant-Denny Stadium, and much more. Sharing the moments through a carousel on Instagram, Thomas wrote, “Tuscaloosa… @alabamamgolf and their amazing new golf facility, night games at Bryant Denny, Tide hoops, old teammates and friends, Irish gold, Yellow Hammers, Dixieland Delight after a W… @univofalabama will always be my happy place. So much fun every time I’m lucky enough to go back. Oh and I can’t forget…. Smoke em if you got em!!!!! 💨 RTR”

While there were many images on the carousel, the one that caught the eye instantly was the first one. It featured Thomas along with Nick Saban and a couple of other guys. The moment melted hearts as the two had met after a long time. Both of them share a bond of mutual respect and their love of sports. Although primarily a football coach, Saban does like playing golf, too. Reflecting on the moment he met Thomas, Saban once said, “He was like a shy little puppy dog sitting in my office.” From there, Saban has become a vocal supporter of Thomas. “Justin is a great person, great family … He’s a hard worker,” said Saban.

Thomas shares a similar mutual respect with the football coach. After playing a Pro-Am with coach Saban and coach Day in the 2025 Memorial Tournament Pro-Am, Thomas said, “I just love talking to him. He’s always been so unbelievably nice and supportive to my family and myself, and a lot of other players as well at Alabama. But, just the nerd in me really wanted to, I was able to kind of talk football a little bit or ask questions between them two and myself, and that was pretty cool.”

This touching reunion came amid Thomas’s PGA Tour hiatus. The 16x PGA Tour winner has not played in any tournaments post the 2025 Ryder Cup. A couple of his teammates, including Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa, played the Baycurrent Classic. In fact, Schauffele even won the title and made several new records, including 72nd consecutive cut. On the other hand, many from the European team have started playing on the DP World Tour. Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Tommy Fleetwood, and Viktor Hovland recently finished their game at the DP World India Championship.

Although Thomas has not played in any PGA Tour events, fans can soon see him playing the Skins Game.

Justin Thomas will play the Skins Game in November

The unofficial money event on the PGA Tour that was halted in 2008 is making a comeback this year. The spontaneous and exciting event was called the “silly season” of golf. Carrying on its old tradition, the event will be broadcast on Thanksgiving. Amazon Prime will broadcast it on November 28. Justin Thomas is both the host and a competitor in the revived Skins Game.

Thomas expressed excitement about the return, noting that younger generations missed experiencing the iconic nature and excitement of past Skins Games. He highlighted the format’s entertainment value, including mic’d up players and the unique atmosphere it creates. Thomas is also a co-designer of the course used for the event, Panther National, alongside golf legend Jack Nicklaus.

To make the event more exciting, the organizers have included a reverse-purse format. With the new format, players start with $1 million, and their bankroll fluctuates with each hole’s outcome. This approach aims to recapture the excitement and competitiveness that previous revived events like The Match struggled to sustain. Justin Thomas is particularly eager about the competitive aspect and the opportunity to beat top players.

The competitors include 2025 Ryder Cup stars like Xander Schauffele, Keegan Bradley, and Tommy Fleetwood. There is added interest due to recent Ryder Cup matchups, including Thomas’s victory over Fleetwood in singles play. It will be fun to see who wins the revived Skins Game.