When asked how much a 15-handicap would score on Oakmont, one of the toughest courses in the world, Tom Brown, an experienced looper, said, “Sounds harsh, but I’ll be optimistic and say 115.” Brown has spent a fair share of time on the course, but was not confident enough to even make par. Dan Rapaport also commented on the idea, sharing his own experience on the course: “I did this exact thing on Monday in 2016. From the Sunday tees. Four dots. I was probably a ~12.0 at the time. Hit my first drive about 310 up the right side and made 4. Legitimately thought in that moment I was going to shoot 74. I think I went out in ’53 and shot right around 115. ” So, was Justin Thomas too harsh when he suggested shutting the chatter around Oakmont’s difficulty by inviting ‘golfers’ and exposing them to real challenges?
Speaking from the Oakmont Country Club, Thomas tweeted, “So much talk about ‘what would X handicap shoot at Oakmont’… Why don’t we find a way to make it happen? Have a 5, 10, 18 whatever handicap play Monday after the @usopengolf. Back tees full rules of golf, and see what happens? May have to let a few groups thru and allow for 6-7 hours but I think we’re all here for it, no?? .” The challenging course in Pennsylvania has sparked debates about who can beat the record score here.
In the 9 attempts professionals have had here, the lowest score they have achieved is 5-under par. That was earned by Ernie Els in 1994, Johnny Miller in 1973, and Ben Hogan in 1953. The scoring average in nine U.S. Opens is a beefy +4.63 per round. Given these stats, it seems JT would enjoy watching a few handicap players have a go at it to see if they can overcome the mighty Oakmont.
Thomas’s initial tweet prompted someone to tweet, “Absolutely – and not influencers… A real GHIN holding normal person.” They suggested that content creators shouldn’t be a part of the Monday round. Only those who are registered with the Golf Handicap & Information Network should be a part of the tournament. This received a vote of approval from Thomas as he replied with, “Agreed!” to confirm his stance on the situation. Lately, golf influencers have been trying to match the pros by participating in competions at similar courses but in different settings. Take for instance, The Duels and The Creator Classic.
Agreed!
— Justin Thomas (@JustinThomas34) June 10, 2025
JT’s stance comes as a surprise, as Justin Thomas hasn’t spoken up against the involvement of influencers in the past. He has indulged with them on a few occasions, crediting the entertainment value they add to the sport.
Justin Thomas enjoys watching influencer golf
Back in March 2025, the PGA Tour shared a hilarious video of Trent Ryan of the Fore Play Golf Podcast attempting a chip off the rough. As seen in the video, Trent failed miserably, not being able to contact the ball but instead wiping off the divot under it. That happened because he wasn’t wearing spikes and slipped on the downswing, which affected his trajectory. The video was posted all over social media and was captioned, “Condolences to our agronomy team.”
It received a lot of reactions, with fans showing support for Ryan for attempting the difficult shot. But the comment section also included a response from Justin Thomas, who found the attempt hilarious. He wrote, “Thank you oh so much for making my day,” suggesting that he got a good laugh out of it. It just goes to show that he enjoyed the prospect of YouTube golfers creating such entertaining content preceding professional events.
So his change of tune for the Oakmont event suggestion does come as a big surprise. Wouldn’t you agree?
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