Rickie Fowler, Justin Thomas, and Jordan Spieth share an unbreakable bond on the PGA Tour. The trio often travel to tournaments together and provide support for each other through highs and lows. Initially known as golf’s ‘spring break group’ after a shared holiday, they thrive on friendly rivalry and banter on and off the course.
Fowler opened up about their camaraderie on Kay Adams’ Up and Adam Show. He said: “We are always friends, and I think your friends are the ones you want to beat the most. It’s fun when we do get paired together. It’s fun when your friends play well. But it’s even more fun when you beat your friends when they play well.”
When asked who he’d least like to lose to, Fowler didn’t hesitate, saying: “It’d probably be JT. JT chirps a little bit more.”
These candid remarks from Fowler highlight the tight-knit nature of their friendship and suggest that Spieth might need to brace for some extra ‘chirping’ from Thomas, who is turning up the heat at the current Valspar Championship in Florida.
With a brilliant six-under-par round of 65, Thomas catapulted himself into contention and now sits tied fifth on five-under, just two strokes behind the leading trio Nico Echavarria, Jacob Bridgeman and Viktor Hovland.
After a third-round 67, Spieth is tied 17th on three-under with the scene set for an intriguing final day. This tournament is the first time Thomas and Spieth have played together for the first three rounds since the 2018 Players Championship. However, they will be in separate groups for round four.
Reflecting on their friendly competition, Spieth insisted Thomas has much more of a chance of success than him. He said: “At the end, I wanted to get to where I was tied with him so we could just play again tomorrow. We always want to beat each other when we’re playing with each other and that pushes us to play better.
“The last couple times he’s gotten the better of me, and he was going to be hard to beat at six-under [for the round] today.
“Being at five-under, like he is, you probably have a pretty good chance at this golf tournament, considering he could go shoot another six-under tomorrow and then have a chance to win. For me, I’m a little bit further behind, I was trying to get to four-under or five-under, to really have a chance.”
Meanwhile, with the Copperhead Course evolving, Thomas says no one under par can be ruled out. He said: “The course is getting, it’s firming up a little bit. I’m excited to see how it’s going to play tomorrow. It’s going to be a true great test and a lot of people are probably going to have a chance.”
