Ryder Cup
- Captain will choose two-time Major winner despite lack of form
- Koepka, Spieth, Fowler and Morikawa will also play in Rome
Zach Johnson is ready to ignore Justin Thomas’ poor form and pick the two-time Major winner for the US Ryder Cup team.
Johnson will list his six wildcards on Tuesday, with a primary focus on whether Thomas, whose missed cuts at the US Open and Open Championship included rounds of 80+ shots, will get the nod.
Viktor Hovland strolls to the Tour Championship to strengthen his Ryder Cup hand
Thomas admitted during the Open at the Royal Liverpool he wasn’t able to explain his performance. He then missed the PGA Tour season-ending playoffs. But Johnson is likely to build on Thomas’ experience and influence by handing the 30-year-old a huge vote of confidence just weeks before meeting Europe outside Rome. Thomas had two-and-a-half points from four games as the US beat Europe in the 2021 Whistling Straits.
Brooks Koepka’s departure from LIV Golf has also caused an uproar, but his tie for second place at the Masters and victory at the US PGA Championship earn him a Ryder Cup spot. Koepka narrowly missed out on being automatically selected for the US team and remains popular with his teammates.
Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler and Collin Morikawa are said to be among Johnson’s favorites. He has to make a late decision for last place with Sam Burns, Keegan Bradley, Cameron Young and Tony Finau all in contention. Burns could be the slight favorite in this group, due in part to his proximity to world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler. Burns and Bradley were among those who finished ninth at Sunday’s Tour Championship. Scheffler, Wyndham Clark, Brian Harman, Patrick Cantlay, Max Homa and Xander Schauffele occupied the automatic US berths.
Luke Donald will share his half-dozen captaincy tips for Europe next Monday. Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland and Tyrrell Hatton automatically qualified. Tommy Fleetwood, Matt Fitzpatrick and Sepp Straka will certainly be in Rome even if they need a choice from Donald. Robert MacIntyre will be looking to secure his Ryder Cup debut in the final European qualifying event, the European Masters, which starts on Thursday.
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