Thomas wants to bank majors, not massive cheques

Justin Thomas has earned about $ 25 million in his three years on the PGA Tour. That i ncludes his bonus from winning the FedEx Cup this year. It does not include endorsement money from the likes of Titleist, Citi and Polo.

He has a better grasp of his percentage making putts inside 10 feet than the size of his bank account.

Thomas appreciates the money as a measure of suc- cess. The 24- year- old just doesn’t see it as much more than that.

“I’ve never been one to say, ‘ Wow, I have all this,’ or ‘ Wow, I could buy this or that.’ Never in my mind have I been like, ‘ OK, I’m playing golf to win all this money,’” Thomas said.

“I’m truly playing because I want to win a lot ... of golf tournaments and majors and hopefully have a Hall of Fame- type career. The money really is just a bonus. I’m sure a lot of people honestly don’t believe me, but I don’t know. I’ve never once thought about the money.”

It’s only a problem this time of the year. Not for him, but those trying to buy Christmas presents for him.

“My parents and girlfriend get so mad because they say it’s so hard to get something for someone who already has everything,” Thomas said. “I told them, ‘I don’t care, I don’t need anything, I don’t want anything.’ I told them I can always use more stuff for my house, but they don’t think that’s a very good Christmas present.” It wasn’t always like that. As a teenager, Thomas said his parents used to save one big present that they hid until he was done unwrapping his other presents. One year, it was a Scotty Cameron putter. He still has it.

Meanwhile, Jack Nicklaus has been getting Tiger Woods questions f or 20 years. But a few weeks ago at the PGA Tour’s annual tournament meetings, he was asked about his grandson Nick O’Leary, a tight end for the Buffalo Bills.

“Would you rather have a 19th major championship or see Nick catch the winning touchdown in the Super Bowl?”

“Uh, right now I’d rather have a 19th major. Tiger is back playing again,” Nicklaus said to gales of laughter.

DANTE CARRER / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES Justin Thomas, who has already earned about $25 million in earnings on the PGA Tour in his young career, says he’s “never once thought about the money.”