Justin Thomas returns to Florida after disastrous Open in last-ditch attempt to secure Ryder Cup spot
ROYAL LIVERPOOL — Justin Thomas has one month to persuade American Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson he should be on the plane to Rome. Qualification for the United States team ends at the conclusion of the PGA Tour’s BMW Championship on August 20. The 12-man squad will be announced one week later after the FedEx finale at the Tour Championship.
Thomas is well outside the six places determined by points qualification presently occupied by US Open champion Wyndham Clark, PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka, world No1 Scottie Scheffler, Olympic champion Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay and Max Homa.
After missing the cut at Hoylake following an opening 82, just as he did at last month’s US Open, where he shot a second round 81, Thomas has added next week’s 3M Open in Minneapolis to his schedule and has already returned to Florida to work with his father Mike, who is also his coach.
“I want to make the Ryder Cup more than anything,” Thomas said after a creditable 71 in his second round at Hoylake. “I’m probably trying too hard to do it. It reminds me a lot of my first or second year on tour. I tried so hard to make that team for the first time. I’m in a very similar position. I’ve been trying to make it easy on Zach and get in the top six, but I seem to not want to do that with my golf.
“I have a couple of events left to try to get in the play-offs and then make a little bit of a run. I’m trying to look at the big picture. I’m trying to not focus too much on days like yesterday. I’m trying not to dwell on it but it just sucks when it’s the first round of a major and you have no chance anymore.
“Everybody has their waves, their kind of momentum and rock bottoms, whatever you want to call it. I just keep telling myself, this is it, I’m coming out of it. Unfortunately I have surprised myself a couple times with some bad rounds. It doesn’t mean a day’s good play like today doesn’t get a spark going. All I can do is try to be in the frame of mind for it.”
Thomas is fortunate he can call upon a body of solid work in both Ryder and Presidents Cups to demonstrate his value. He was undefeated when paired with Jordan Spieth at last year’s Presidents Cup and has compiled a 6-2-1 record in the previous two editions of the Ryder Cup. Johnson, like European skipper Luke Donald, has six captain’s picks at his disposal, which is almost certainly the mechanism that will decide the fate of Thomas.
“I mean, it’s not like I’m going to write him (Johnson) a love letter or anything. I would like to think my record is my best argument,” Thomas said. “I love the team events. I thrive in them. I don’t want to put him in this position. I hate even having to hope for a pick. This is the first time since I first qualified that I’ve had to rely on a captain’s pick, and it’s not fun. I’m just hoping that I can finish this year strong and my record speaks for itself.”
European qualification ends two weeks after the United States’ closes, at the conclusion of the Omega European Masters in Switzerland on September 3rd. Masters champion Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland, Tyrrell Hatton, Matt Fitzpatrick and Robert MacIntyre are the six players currently leading the race for qualification, though a strong finish at The Open by Tommy Fleetwood, second at the halfway stage, would catapult him into the automatic places.
