Justin Thomas is on a mission.

In 2019, the skilled golfer found an irregularly shaped mole on his calf that turned out to be melanoma. And now, he’s got down to spread the word about how wearing sunscreen may help others from experiencing the identical health crisis.

“My scare with melanoma was an actual wake-up call for me and why I made a decision to partner with veteran consumer goods managers to launch Wear SPF,” Thomas said. The road, which debuted within the spring, is an element of the athlete’s goal to teach and encourage people of all ages to “apply, reapply and go get checked.”

On Tuesday afternoon, Thomas joined dermatologist Dr. Britt Craiglow on a Zoom call to inform his story. “Being a golfer, I’ve been out within the sun all my life,” he said. And since moving to Florida from his hometown in Kentucky to pursue his profession, his time outdoors has increased. “I used to be very fortunate to catch it early and I would like to make use of my platform to spread the word.”

He said that in golf, he often meets individuals who say he has inspired them or their kids to take up the sport, but with this, he believes he can actually save lives. “You possibly can’t compare anything in golf with this,” he said.

The gathering consists of a water-resistant sunscreen spray with an SPF of fifty that retails for $13; a mineral sunscreen lotion with an SPF of 30 for $16; a sport stick to an SPF of fifty for the face and body that retails for $10; a sunscreen lip balm for $3, and an after-sun cleanser for $10. The gathering is obtainable online, on Amazon and in golf pro shops. A portion of the proceeds go to the Justin Thomas Foundation, which supports children in need, junior golf and military families.

Thomas said his favorite Wear SPF products are the game stick or spray because he doesn’t like getting anything on his hands when he’s playing.

Craiglow said getting young people — especially athletes — to understand they should wear sunscreen is crucial since they spend a lot time outside within the sun. “That is a possibility to capture a population that basically needs it,” she said.

“As a young athlete, I wish I had known to wear sunscreen on a regular basis,” Thomas added.

But since the scar on his leg is so visible — “It looks like I used to be bitten by a shark,” he said — other tour players have noticed it, affording him the chance to encourage them to wear sunscreen as well. “Everyone I’ve told to this point has been blown away,” he said, noting they’re now showing quite a bit more caution with their very own skin routine.