U.S. captain Zach Johnson wasn’t about to go to Rome for the Ryder Cup without Justin Thomas. And he made it sound as though Brooks Koepka was just as easy a decision.
They were among six captain’s picks announced Tuesday to fill out a 12-man American team that will try to end three decades of losing on European soil, all while setting up Johnson for the usual dose of second-guessing if it all goes wrong.
The Ryder Cup is Sept. 29 to Oct. 1 at Marco Simone outside Rome. Europe’s team will not be determined until after this week.
Thomas is regarded by players on both sides as the emotional spark for the U.S. team in the Ryder Cup, beyond his 6-2-1 record in two previous appearances. But he has gone 15 months without winning, and he played so poorly this year that he didn’t even finish among the top 70 who reached the FedEx Cup postseason.
“He has without question been the heart and soul of Team USA,” Johnson said. “In my mind, he was born for this. You just don’t leave JT at home.”