With just two days to go until Team US aims to achieve a win on European soil after 30 long years, the anticipation surrounding golf’s greatest tournament is at its peak. The 24 esteemed players from both teams have already reached Rome, and are currently engaged in practice sessions at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club. Among those players, all set to silence the naysayers is the US Team Captain’s pick, Justin Thomas.
His name came as a shock to many when Zach Johnson announced his picks for the team, leading to controversial debates owing to Thomas’ poor form this season. After days of speculation, Thomas has finally responded to the criticism surrounding his selection.
Justin Thomas Takes a Brave Stance on the Controversy
In a presser ahead of the Ryder Cup this Friday, Justin Thomas declared that he isn’t keeping receipts. He said that he didn’t pay attention to the backlash regarding his pick and kept away from social media as much as he could.
“I don’t feel like there is any good that can come from that. After I was picked from the team, doesn’t matter what it is … everybody’s got an opinion and theirs is right and everybody else’s is wrong, at least that’s what generally seems to be. So for that exact reason, I stayed away from social media and stayed away from stuff online because I knew nothing good was going to come from it.”
The two time major champion has had a rough year with missed cuts at three out of the four major championships. Despite a T12 finish at the Wyndham Championship, he missed the FedEx Playoffs all together when he had a track record of being in at least the top 7 in the FEC standings for the last seven years. Thomas managed to finish in the top 10 at the Fortinet Championship this month, which was his 2nd top 10 finish since March this year. But his Captain has full faith in the PGA tour pro.
Team US Captain Says Thomas Was an Easy Pick!
In spite of his shaky form this year, when it comes to representing his country, Justin Thomas has always proven his mettle all along. With an impressive 17 1/2 points for the US team across two Ryder Cups and three Presidents Cups, the golfer has definitely proven himself to be one of the best players in US team history.
He is also a force to reckon with on the green infuriating his opponents and the European crowds all the while maintaining an optimum performance. Given Justin Thomas’ exceptional performances in the past Ryder Cups, Captain Zach Johnson is confident in his choice and says that he was a “pretty easy pick.”
Johnson, in the presser leading up to the Ryder Cup, explained the tactic that went into selecting his Captain’s picks, and recent performance was definitely not a major criteria:
“He has all the intangibles and the innate ability to rally guys around him and be a leader vocally but also without having to say much,” the US Team Captain added. “There’s a lot of, I’d say, invaluable elements when it comes to JT and this event, and I can say this in full confidence with our six guys that made this team: Those guys (who qualified automatically) were adamant they wanted those six other guys to help complete their team, and JT was one of them.”
Justin Thomas has also been working closely with a mental coach since January to find some peace, and is confident that with him on the team, the Americans have a good chance of breaking a three decade old curse.
