By Rahul Banerji
PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka and the out-of-form but scrappy Justin Thomas are among the six picks named by US Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson.
Also in are now team seniors Jordan Speith and Rickie Fowler, Collin Morikawa and debutant Sam Burns who will line up in Rome next month for the 44th holding of the competition.
They join the six automatic qualifiers who had made the grade earlier this month following the BMW Championship midway through the FedEx Cup playoffs.
US Ryder Cup team roster
Automatic qualifiers: Scottie Scheffler, Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele, Brian Harman, Wyndham Clark, and Max Homa.
Captain’s picks: Brooks Koepka, Jordan Spieth, Collin Morikawa, Rickie Fowler, Sam Burns, and Justin Thomas.
Inevitably the inclusion of ‘JT’ has led to plenty of lash-back for US skipper Johnson who has defended his pick despite a lack of recent form and an off-colour season.
“In my mind, he was born for this,” Johnson said at the PGA of America headquarters in Texas.
“He has been the heart and soul of Team USA at Ryder Cups. He’s our emotional leader… You just don’t leave J.T. at home.”
Added Johnson, “A lot of time, lot of energy has gone into this process. I’m very confident in these six. That confidence comes from simply surrounding myself with great people.”
While Keegan Bradley, Cameron Young, and Lucas Glover from the PGA Tour were in contention as likely choices, LIV Golf League personnel Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed and Bryson DeChambeau also had their backers.
That however was not to be and Thomas, who went through possibly his worst season on the PGA Tour will be on the plane to Rome. He missed the cut at three of the year’s four majors, had just three top-10s and was finally, 15th in the Ryder Cup standings.
‘Outsider’
Bradley, who was possibly the closest to selection had this to say later. “I’ve always been an outsider in the sport but I have tried to get closer to the guys I thought would be on the team.
“I feel like moving forward. I’m going to have to automatically qualify for the Ryder Cup.” There was no mistaking the undercurrent that he felt like the loser in a popularity contest.
At the same time, Thomas has a solid record in match play and team events with a 6-2-1 Ryder Cup record, and experience of having played in Europe as well, which Johnson needs.
All the six automatic qualifiers will be playing their first Ryder Cup in Europe, Three of them – Clark, Homa, and Harman will be making their Ryder Cup debut.
Johnson also has to contend with the fact that the last time Team USA won in Europe was in 1993 and the defending champions are out to buck 30 years of history.
Under pressure
From Valderrama in 1997 till Le Golf National in 2018, the US has been at the receiving end which probably explains the fact that while Johnson’s choices have just two wins on the PGA Tour this season, four of them have Ryder Cup experience in Europe.
In all, the 2023 US team has just seven players who were in the squad that thrashed Europe by a record 19-9 margin at Whistling Straits two years ago.
Against a team that will have both experience and recent form, Johnson would have felt the need to back experience against form. Hence, JT.
Social media has been unsparing of the decision to ignore Keegan Bradley and Cam Young in particular, terming the selected team as a “boys club” and worse.
Of the six picks, Fowler returns after missing the previous two Ryder Cups. Koepka, Morikawa, Spieth and Thomas were part of the team at Whistling Straits.
For Team Europe, the six automatic qualifiers will be finalised at the Omega European Masters in Switzerland on September 3 and their captain Luke Donald will name his picks on September 4.
So far, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland, and Tyrrell Hatton have secured qualification spots.
Also read: Resignations rob Europe of three Ryder Cup stalwarts
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