Justin Thomas is off to a strong start at the PGA Championship, carding back-to-back rounds of 69 at Aronimink to position himself perfectly for the weekend. But it hasn't been all smooth sailing for the 32-year-old star.

During Friday's second round, Thomas—along with playing partners Keegan Bradley and Cam Young—found themselves on the wrong side of a slow-play warning from PGA officials. The timing was particularly ironic, given that Thomas had voiced frustrations about slow play just a day earlier.

The incident unfolded on the 11th hole, where officials approached the group to address their pace. Thomas, a 16-time PGA Tour winner known for his competitive fire, didn't hold back when asked about the exchange after his round.

"We just didn't really agree with it," Thomas explained. He questioned the very concept of "time par," especially given the challenging conditions at Aronimink. "How can time par on this course be the same when it's blowing 25 and the pins are tough than if it's not?"

What seemed to frustrate Thomas most was that his group wasn't holding up play behind them. "Every time we were on the green, they were on the tee," he noted, pointing out that the group behind was never waiting.

Thomas also highlighted the inherent complexity of golf pace—factors like proximity to the hole, needing to mark your ball, or tapping in short putts all affect timing in ways that a blanket rule can't capture. "It's very hard to make that call," he said. "And we just didn't agree with it, to be honest."

The irony? Just a hole after the warning, Thomas's group had caught back up to the pace. "It kind of goes to our point of why we didn't think we should have [been warned]," he shrugged. "But it is what it is."

Despite the distraction, Thomas kept his focus on the leaderboard. With two solid 69s under his belt, he heads into the weekend at Aronimink with plenty of momentum—and a little extra motivation.