Justin Thomas walked away with the richest payoff in golf when he was runner-up at the Tour Championship and captured the FedEx Cup. With the $10 million bonus, he made $10,945,000 that day.
And then he forgot all about it.
Thomas said he was at the Presidents Cup the next week when Kevin Chappell said to him, "You get it yet?"
Thomas didn't know what he was talking about.
"He said, 'Did you get the bonus?' I never even thought about it," Thomas said. "I asked my dad to look and was like, 'Oh, there it is.' "
What does a 24-year-old do with such a bonus?
"I maybe got a little nicer bottle of wine at dinner a couple of times," Thomas said.
But he was generous with others. When he arrived at Albany Golf Club for the Hero World Challenge, Thomas gave caddie Jimmy Johnson a small, white box. Inside was a Rolex Pearlmaster watch.
"I just wanted to do something to thank the team," Thomas said. "He's done a lot, and he continues to do a lot. I wanted to show that with something for him."
Engraved on the watch was a message: "Thanks for a great 2016-17. JT."
Tossing the king
LeBron James had played over 1,000 career regular-season games and never once was ejected. Until Tuesday.
James was tossed in the third quarter of the Cleveland Cavaliers' 108-97 victory over the Miami Heat, marking his first career ejection. After the game, referee Kane Fitzgerald explained why he tossed James.
"It was a culmination of a couple different acts," Fitzgerald said, via a pool report. "Immediately after the no-call, he turned and threw an air punch directly at me and then he aggressively charged at me and then he used vulgarity in my ear a few times."
James thought he had been tossed for receiving two technicals, but that wasn't the case. He received only one. Fitzgerald just decided to toss him after James complained about a no-call.
According to Cleveland.com, Cavs Coach Ty Lue said he agreed with the ejection.
Manning musings
From Janice Hough of leftcoastsportsbabe.com:
"NY Giants benched Eli Manning in favor of Geno Smith. Maybe they think they can catch the 49ers for that No. 2 draft pick."
From sportspickle.com:
"Archie Manning puts Eli up for adoption"
From ESPN Sports Business Reporter Darren Rovell:
"Best selling phone the last time Eli Manning wasn't the Giants starter: The Nokia 2600"
Reindeer games
From RJ Currie of sportsdeke.com:
"After Vikings TE Kyle Rudolph's second TD catch against the Lions, did I hear Troy Aikman say Rudolph had a nose for the end zone? Presumably it's a very shiny nose."
Sports quiz
Eli Manning made his first regular-season start on Nov. 21, 2004, against what team?
Sports answer
The Atlanta Falcons
Sports on 11/30/2017