During the final round of the 2018 Honda Classic, Justin Thomas lost his patience with one spectator’s antics. As he approached the 16th hole, the fan repeatedly hoped his shots would find the water or a bunker. Having had enough, Thomas called out the spectator and had him removed. Incidents like this, coupled with other controversies, have contributed to JT’s often strained relationship with fans.

That perception didn’t entirely change when the 33-year-old took to X on Sunday with what appeared to be an innocent tweet.

“I was today years old the last time I had to buy a glove in the pro shop,” he wrote. “Everybody have a great Sunday.”

This might lead some to believe pros get gloves for free from the pro shops. But that’s hardly the case. Instead, touring pros get their equipment, including gloves, balls, hats, and clubs, supplied directly by their sponsors and equipment manufacturers. Thomas, of course, has one of those sponsors, meaning he gets his golf supplies sent to him regularly. Who? 

Well, the two-time major champion has sponsorship deals with Titleist and FootJoy. According to Today’s Golfer, Thomas plays a full bag of Titleist equipment, including drivers, fairway woods, 621.JT prototype irons, Vokey wedges, Scotty Cameron putters, and Pro V1x golf balls. He also wears FootJoy golf shoes, including the HyperFlex and Premiere Series models, along with FootJoy gloves.

Notably, Thomas became a clothing free agent earlier this year after his apparel partnership with Greyson Clothiers expired. Before joining Greyson, he was sponsored by Ralph Lauren, which ended its partnership with him after a 2021 incident at the Sentry Tournament of Champions. Thomas was caught on a hot mic using a homophobic slur, drawing criticism from fans and prompting the brand to distance itself from the golfer.

Though he immediately apologized and owned up to the mistake, it left a lasting negative impression on many viewers. Nevertheless, it appears he may have run out of gloves during a golf session, prompting him to make the rare move of purchasing a pair from the pro shop. But he shouldn’t have tweeted about it, since fans failed to resonate with someone who received such equipment for free. 

Fan brands Justin Thomas entitled

One user accused Justin Thomas of not paying the green fee. “When is last time you paid a green fee??” the user asked mockingly. Thomas co-designed the Panther National, a private golf course in Palm Beach County, alongside Jack Nicklaus, so he may not need to pay green fees.

Another user simply branded Thomas entitled. “Why do pros feel entitled to get everything free?” the user questioned. 

Someone else exposed how trivial Thomas’ problems are. “So if this is the negative aspect of your day, life is pretty good eh?” the user wrote. 

Meanwhile, this fan welcomed Justin Thomas to the real world. The fan wrote: “Welcome to the common world. Smh. You’ll be fine!!” 

The next user pointed out why people don’t like him. “Oh, the horror. And you wonder why people don’t like you,” the user commented. 

While Thomas doesn’t have the best reputation, he has also done some good things for others. He gifted mini-tour golfer Michael ‘Big Mike’ Visacki an undisclosed sum of money at the 2021 Charles Schwab Challenge to help him cover expenses and continue pursuing his dream of reaching the PGA Tour. 

That being said, his tweet appears to have given fans yet another reason to dislike him. But only time will tell whether he can redeem himself.