Justin Thomas has shared a personal scare, and subsequent scar, on his Instagram account.

Thomas, the fifth-ranked golfer in the world, wrote how a visit to the dermatologist revealed that a mole on his leg was discovered to be in the early stages of melanoma, a form of skin cancer.

“Luckily, we found it at a time where there should be no problems going forward,” Thomas said.

Unfortunately, Thomas was left with a gigantic incision to remove the mole.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2Utje_BIq5/?utm_source=ig_embed

Studies cited by the Skin Cancer Foundation have shown that cases of nonmelanoma skin cancer increased by 77 percent from 1994 to 2014, and that there will be 7.7 percent more melanoma cases this year than there were in 2018.

Thomas used his platform to urge his followers to schedule a check-up.

“No harm can come from it and it’s the best way to catch anything before it becomes a serious issue,” Thomas said. “Especially for all the junior golfers (and other athletes) spending so much time in the sun. It is so important to make sure you’re monitoring your body – no matter how old you are or how much sunscreen you use. It really got my attention, and hoping it does the same to y’all!”

RELATED: Check out the October 2019 issue of Australian Golf Digest for a special, must-read skin cancer report. It’s on-sale from September 26.