Justin Thomas on "petty" act by major champ at PGA Tour event: "Thought it was hilarious"

Justin Thomas says Lucas Glover's decision to take off his shoes during the final round of the 3M Open was "hilarious".

Glover took centre stage during one of the most bizarre incidents on the PGA Tour this season at TPC Twin Cities. 

The former U.S. Open champion drained a birdie putt on the 10th and immediately removed his footwear before retrieving his golf ball.

Commentators speculated that Glover may have been taking a dig at his playing partner, Max Greyserman, over the American's use of a controversial green-reading system. 

Glover has been extremely critical of AimPoint users, explaining that its use not only slows down play, but that some golfers tend to trample on other players' lines.

The veteran PGA Tour golfer later clarified that his outburst had nothing to do with AimPoint.

But he was instead making a point after being told that groups behind him had complained about him leaving spike marks on the greens.

"I have not done something like that," Thomas told the We Need a Fourth podcast. "I thought it was hilarious. I love Lucas.

"Like, it was petty, but, like, I respected it, because I'm probably a little petty, as well.

"It was something where, I guess, the groups, or somebody behind them was complaining about spike marks, and I guess somebody called Lucas out for some reason, which is mind-blowing to me.

"I know he [doesn't like] AimPoint. I don't know what his metal spikes situation is, but to choose him out of the entire field, it's just, it's weird to me.

"So I think he was basically saying, 'oh, I'm sorry, am I am I messing the greens up? Well, let me take my shoes off for you, then.'"

Thomas continued: "I thought it was amazing.

"Knowing him, if it was someone specific, he probably waited and said, 'if you have a problem with it, say it to my face. Don't say it to an official, say it to me'.

"So, I need to get more info on that, because I don't know who it was.

"I mean, there are a lot of spikes. Those were bent greens, and they're soft generally. So, like, they get really chewed up.

"But I don't know how you choose him out of the entire field. Like, the greens get chewed up, but, whatever."

For his part, Greyserman described the situation as "crazy". 

Greyserman, 31, later revealed that Glover even left a stroppy note in the scoring hut after the pair concluded their rounds with his phone number attached. 

He said: "I just stopped for a second and then all of a sudden he's taking his shoes off and I'm just literally thinking, what is going on?

"Like, I had absolutely no idea what is happening. I've never seen anything like this. I have no context of why he's doing this.

"He takes his shoes off, leaves them on the fringe, goes and picks the ball out of the hole in just his socks.

"At that point I'm like, 'this is this is crazy'.

"Let me just go make my birdie because I got a job to do and my job is not to worry about Lucas Glover taking his shoes off on the green.

"We're walking in the next hole and I remember looking at my caddie and I'm like, 'did you see him take off his shoes, was I seeing that correctly?'

"And he's like, 'yeah, I have no idea what just happened.'

"Then Lucas told us that the rules official came up to him and said that guys behind us were complaining about spike marks on the greens. Lucas was upset because they were singling him out."