Inside the Controversial Ryder Cup Decision: Justin Thomas Confronts His Worst Nightmare and the Emotional Fallout

 

Justin Thomas knows exactly how you feel. If you watched the second season of *Full Swing* on Netflix and found yourself rooting for Keegan Bradley over Thomas for the final spot on the U.S. Ryder Cup team, Thomas understands. Because he felt that way too.

 

In a recent appearance on the No Laying Up podcast, Thomas candidly shared his experience and feelings surrounding the dramatic Ryder Cup selection. “I watched it with [my wife] Jill and I was like, I kind of find myself rooting for Keegan after this,” Thomas revealed. “It was tough, but I mean, it’s also like, it’s the reality. Like Keegan, if you put our years against each other, he deserved to be on that team more than I did.”

 

Thomas’s appearance on the podcast was a rare, in-depth look into his perspective on the past year of his career and the tumultuous Ryder Cup week. His 2023 season was notably disappointing by his own high standards. Missing out on the FedEx Cup Playoffs left him in a precarious position, relying on a captain’s pick from Zach Johnson to make the Ryder Cup team. Bradley, in contrast, had a stellar season with two PGA Tour wins and a higher ranking on the points list. Yet, Thomas’s history with the team and his role as an emotional leader earned him the final spot.

 

“I think it’s not a secret, it’s not anything hidden why I probably ended up getting a pick and he didn’t,” Thomas said, acknowledging the factors beyond performance that influenced the decision.

 

The Netflix series provided a raw look at Bradley’s emotional journey, highlighting his intense passion and dedication to the Ryder Cup. Watching Bradley’s struggle and devastation upon receiving the bad-news call from Johnson was heart-wrenching. He was seen slumped on his couch, comforted by his family, a scene that made it difficult not to empathize with him.

 

Ultimately, the spot went to Thomas, who was neither villain nor hero but simply caught between Bradley and his dream. While Thomas thought the Netflix portrayal was mostly fair, he had one significant issue. “It made it seem like it was the only captain’s pick,” he said. In reality, there were six picks, and while some were considered automatic, the final spots were fiercely contested. Thomas pointed out that both Cameron Young (ranked No. 9 in Ryder Cup standings) and Bradley (No. 11) were passed over for Sam Burns (No. 12), Rickie Fowler (No. 13), and Thomas himself (No. 15).

 

“I feel like that last spot, if you will, easily three or four names could have been thrown around. But it’s TV. And yeah, I jokingly was like yeah, watching this, I don’t really feel like I should have made the team and [I’m] rooting for Keegan to get this pick.”

 

At the Ryder Cup in Rome, Thomas initially sat out the opening session but played in the subsequent four. Although he provided an emotional boost, his performance was disappointing—he went 1-2-1, and only three of his teammates earned more points. Thomas was his own harshest critic. “I mean, I feel like I let the team down,” he said. “I felt like I played terrible. I was gutted to not win more points. I was gutted to not be playing that first morning.”

 

Thomas emphasized his commitment to being transparent with Johnson throughout the selection process. His message was clear: if the team and captains didn’t believe he was a better addition, he should not be picked. “I was just like, if the guys on that team and the captains, if you guys think I am not a better addition to the team, then you 100 percent should not pick me,” Thomas said.

 

Thomas also revealed that had he not been selected, he would have accepted an assistant captain role without hesitation. “It would have been weird, but I would have happily done it,” he stated.

 

The U.S. team’s performance at the Ryder Cup, marked by a seventh consecutive loss on European soil, led to extensive second-guessing and criticism. Initially, the team dismissed the idea that more competitive play in the weeks leading up to the event could have made a difference. However, Thomas, reflecting with hindsight, admitted that their strategy might have been flawed. “I think it was easy in the moment for us to be like, ‘No, we’re ready, we’re rested, whatever it may be,” he said. “But looking back at it, like, yeah, obviously we should have all played more or we should have found something to play.”

 

Thomas also expressed admiration for aspects of the European team’s approach, especially the specificity of Captain Luke Donald’s assistant roles. “There’s a reason every single person here is a vice captain,” Thomas noted. Despite the setbacks, he hopes the U.S. team is heading in the right direction. Bradley’s recent appointment as the U.S. team captain for the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage represents a potential turning point. Thomas was involved in the selection process for Bradley and shared insights into the decision-making.

 

“I was on all the conversations and knew, and it was a tough, tough secret to keep, because Keegan and I practice and play a lot down here [in south Florida] and I’ve become a lot closer with him over the past couple of years. I just respect his work ethic a lot and he really gets after it,” Thomas explained. The process involved a lot of discussion and careful consideration to ensure the choice was the best for the team.

 

Bradley’s selection has already led to changes, including naming Webb Simpson, who is also 38, as his first vice captain. This move suggests a possible shift towards a youth movement within the Ryder Cup program. Thomas advised the committee to exercise patience, noting that the position was initially offered to Tiger Woods, and when Woods withdrew, the search for a replacement began.

 

“I know that was a big thing for all of us is we’re like, why, why rush this?” Thomas said. “Like, I know that this is maybe when we’ve put out the captain the last X amount of Ryder Cups. But like, what, what’s the point of us rushing this to get maybe the person that we don’t think is right, just to meet a deadline of you guys wanting to get a press release out? Like what’s more important here?”

 

Thomas and Jordan Spieth, another influential player, emphasized the need for change. They sought input from every player to understand what needed to be done differently and better for the future. “And however that is done, it doesn’t need to be by the book or whatever we’ve done it in the past,” Thomas said.

 

As the U.S. Ryder Cup team faces a period of potential transformation, it is clear that both Justin Thomas and Keegan Bradley agree on the necessity of change.