HOYLAKE (England) — Justin Thomas’ struggles with his game may have scared off Zach Johnson, the U.S. Ryder Cup Captain, from including him in his 12-man squad to represent the Stars and Stripes at the Ryder Cup in Rome, in late September. Johnson referred to him as “one of best” among American Ryder Cup golfers.
Johnson, a friend of mine and my roommate at Royal Liverpool , said: “I’m worried because I know him and what he can do.” “I’m concerned about him, but not because he is my friend. I know his abilities and what he can do.”
Thomas, 30, is in the worst slump of her career. Thomas, 30, is on the worst slump of his career. He has not won since the PGA Championship last year and he is at risk of missing out on the FedEx Cup playoffs because he missed the British Open cut. Thomas’s opening round score was 11-over 82. This is his lowest score in his PGA Tour Career. He signed for 71 at the British Open on Friday.
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“Making a double and a quad is not something that someone trying to win the British Open should do. “You can’t just do that,” he said. “But I will be fine.”
Thomas’ weekend break was the third major of this year, after an 81 at the U.S. Open in the second round last month. Thomas will likely need to play next week’s 3M Open and, depending on how he performs, the Wyndham championship, which is final FedEx Cup regular season event. Only the top 70 players qualify for playoffs, and Thomas entered the week ranked No. 75.
Thomas stated, “I would do anything to win the Ryder Cup.” Thomas said, “I am probably trying to hard. This reminds me of my first year or second on Tour. I tried so hard for the first year to make this team. I’m also in a similar situation. I’ve tried to make Zach happy by getting in the top six but my golf hasn’t been up to par. “I have a few events left to make it into the playoffs, and then I’ll try to make a little run to prove a certain point.”
Johnson was adamant that Thomas would still be part of the team, despite his recent performance. Thomas has played in two Ryder Cups and is a formidable combination with Jordan Spieth. Thomas has a 6-2-1 record in two Ryder Cups. This is the best of any American golfer who has played in at least two Ryder Cups. He also holds a combined 6-0-0 record in four-ball matches at both the Ryder Cup & Presidents Cup.
This game is hard. There will be some peaks. There will be valleys. Johnson said, “Let’s hope that whatever non-peak is in which he finds himself will be short.” I know he has a great group. I love his coaches. I like how he works. He is a hard worker. It’s usually found by guys with such talent who work hard and aren’t afraid to do the dirty work. It’s a question of when and not if. “He’s just too damn good.”
Johnson and Thomas shared a house with each other this week, and Johnson only saw Thomas briefly.
Johnson stated, “He was walking with his head held high.” The Ryder Cup fuels the kid. You can tell that he is eager to play.
Johnson’s career has seen enough highs to compare with what Thomas is experiencing.
It’s a shame that you are working hard and not getting the rewards of your labor. Johnson told me that you have to maintain perspective. It’s almost as if you have to take two, three, or four steps forward and then take a few steps back. After that, it’s just like riding an escalator.
Thomas was asked what he would do to convince Johnson that he should pick him in the event he didn’t make it to the team. He replied, “I’m not going to write him love letters or anything.” I’d like to believe that my record would be my strongest argument. I enjoy team events. They are my favorite. It’s something I enjoy. I could relax a bit by playing with someone.
“Yeah. As I said, I didn’t want him to be in this situation. It’s so frustrating to have to wait for a captain’s pick. It’s the first time I’ve relied on a captains pick since I qualified, and it isn’t fun, especially if you’re going the wrong direction when others are.
