06 March 2024 , 10:00
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Netflix’s Full Swing cameras caught the moment Justin Thomas aimed a brutal dig at LIV Golf star Mito Pereira during his speech at the PGA Championship’s champions’ dinner last May.
Thomas was on hosting duties at Oak Hill in 2023, after winning his second major title in the event a year earlier. His victory came at the expense of Pereira, who held a one-shot lead whilst standing on the 18th tee at Southern Hills, before double bogeying the 72nd hole of the week.
This saw Thomas and Will Zalatoris play out a two-man playoff, and it was the former who prevailed to get his hands on the PGA title for the second time.
He of course returned to the event a year later as defending champion, and had the honour of hosting the likes of Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson and Brooks Koepka at the pre-tournament dinner. Addressing his fellow champions with a speech that is included in episode one of the second season of Full Swing, Thomas said: “I am very excited to be hosting this.
“It is a very cool night, I know we can all reminisce about stories.” Including a cheeky jibe at his LIV rival, Thomas added, whilst raising a glass: “I personally want to have a cheers to Mito Pereira because this would not happen without him.”
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The joke earned a laugh from the whole room, including fellow LIV members Koepka and Mickelson. It was Koepka who would go on to add to his major tally that week, as he saw off Viktor Hovland by two shots to win the PGA Championship for a third time.
The victory was a tough one to take for fellow champion McIlroy, who features heavily throughout episode one and two of the second season. Koepka’s victory at Oak Hill saw him move past the Northern Irishman’s major tally, who has now failed to win on the big stage since his PGA Championship victory back in 2014.
Justin Thomas couldn't resist aiming a dig at Mito PereiraAlluding to Koepka overtaking him, McIlroy told the Netflix cameras: “"F***, someone in my era has got more majors than I have. It is hard for me to not define myself as one of the best golfers in the world, so when you struggle like that you feel a little lost."
The behind-the-scenes series also caught McIlroy venting his frustration over his major drought in the Oak Hill locker room. “My technique is nowhere near as good as it used to be,” he claimed.
“I almost feel like I want to do a complete reboot. It is the only way I feel like I'm going to break through. It feels so far away. I'm not at the stage of my life where I feel like I can do these two-week bootcamps. I feel good enough to be f****** top-ten in my head, but not good win, like winning f****** majors.”