Nick Faldo was an all-time great golfer in his playing days, winning six major championships and becoming world number one.
Faldo’s three Masters and three Open Championships mean he is recognised as arguably the best European player ever.
The Englishman is never afraid to speak his mind, and he recently shared a controversial opinion on the modern game.
Justin Thomas has now responded to Faldo with his opinion on a key difference between the generations.
Nick Faldo’s comments on modern golf vs previous eras
Faldo explained to the Sliced Podcast that course records were more impressive in his era than today.
He used Jose Maria Olazabal’s record-breaking 61 at Firestone as an example of one of the best rounds he has ever seen.
Olazabal hit several 2- and 3-irons throughout the round, which most modern golfers do not even carry in their bags because they drive the ball so far.
“I honestly think there should be an asterisk on some of those course records back in the day,” Faldo said. “One good example was Olazabal shot 61 at Firestone.
“We were hitting 2 and 3-irons into the par-4s nearly all the time. One of the famous ones was the 9th hole. We used to drive to the top of the hill.
“We had to hit a 3-iron to that green, which was the size of a dinner plate. It was literally a perfectly round green. We were hitting twos- and three-irons to that.
“Then, I was on CBS, and Keegan Bradley whooped his driver down there 350 yards, and he had a gap wedge. I said, ‘That’s not fair.’ It’s not the same golf course, is it?
“If you’ve shot a 62 with a 2-iron in your hand and then suddenly, you’ve shot 62 with wedges all the way, come on. It’s not the same game.”
Justin Thomas responds to Nick Faldo’s modern golf take
Justin Thomas saw an Instagram clip of Faldo’s explanation on Wednesday evening and commented with his thoughts.
Thomas admitted that Faldo is right about current players finding golf courses easier because of the significant rise in driving distance.
However, he pointed out that the greens are more difficult nowadays, so it is better not to make comparisons between generations.
“While I agree, greens are much faster and firmer now,” Thomas replied. “Don’t compare generations. Appreciate greatness regardless of when and applaud it.”