Jordan Spieth has confirmed the extent of his rivalry with Justin Thomas as the duo battle it out for the FedExCup millions and Player of the Year title.
The pair have been friends and competitors since they were 14, but with Thomas’ emergence as a potential world No 1 after a standout year, the spotlight continues to shine on their friendship.
‘Probably never,’ was Spieth’s response to the question whether Spieth-Thomas battles could yet turn into a bitter rivalry.
‘We’re friend off the golf course. When we’re on the golf course we’re still friends, but playing against each other.
‘It’s not like we played on the same team when we were 14. We were always playing against each others. Our schools matched against each other in college, AJGA events in high school and professionally.
‘So, I’m not – I promise you when we’re out there and he’s got a 6-footer to win the tournament and I’m standing right there on the green, I’m not rooting for him to make it, you know. I’m rooting for him to miss it so we can go to a playoff and I can beat him. That’s just how it works as a competitor.
‘When you aren’t the one that pulls it off and one of the people that you’re very close to can, then it’s cool, really cool for us. The highest stage at what we do for a living.’
The duo have world No 1, Dustin Johnson, for company in the opening two rounds of this week’s BMW Championship – the penultimate FedExCup playoff event.
