WATCH: Justin Thomas brings his dog Franklin for a petting session with Tiger Woods and co
Justin Thomas made use of the 2023 PNC Championship to spend time with his family. Not only were his parents and grandmother there, but even his pet Franklin was inside the ropes.
Franklin is a sheepadoodle dog that Justin Thomas carried into the playing area. The dog delighted his family and also the other team with which they shared the group in the first round, Team Woods.
On social media, numerous videos showed the moment where Thomas carried his dog Franklin into the ropes. Some of these videos show Tiger Woods and his daughter Sam enjoying the dog's presence.
As a general rule, pets are not allowed on golf courses. But the largely unofficial nature of the PNC Championship may have meant an exception for Thomas and Franklin.
The puppy has been part of Thomas' family for several years and is a frequent feature in Justin's Instagram posts.
What was the first round of the PNC Championship like for Justin Thomas?
Justin Thomas and his father, Mike, played the first round of the PNC Championship, managing a score of 8-under-64. This places them at T11, tied with four other teams. Their performance included eight birdies and no bogeys.
After his round, Justin spoke to the press about a variety of topics, including his performance during the round. Other topics included the current status of the PGA Tour's negotiations with several potential sponsors.
Justin Thomas had this to say on the subject, according to Golf Channel:
"I have bigger and better things to worry about, to be selfish and honest. I shouldn’t say more important because the future of the PGA Tour is more important, but selfishly for me, my golf is."
Justin, 30, is one of the top stars on the PGA Tour today, with 15 wins at that level, including two Majors. However, the 2022-2023 season was not the best for him.
He had a pretty good start to the season, but between April and July, he failed to make the cut six times in 11 tournaments, setting off alarm bells. Justin even failed to make the FedEx Cup playoffs.
He seems to have had a resurgence in the fall though. Justin finished T5 in the Fortinet Championship and 3rd in the Hero World Challenge.