There is little question that the most controversial pick Zach Johnson made ahead of the 2023 Ryder Cup came when he handed Justin Thomas a spot on his US team for Rome after a hugely disappointing season for the two-time major champion.
Justin Thomas did not even make the FedEx Cup play-offs in 2023 after finishing in the top 10 on just two occasions before being picked for the Ryder Cup. The pick was especially controversial as he finished 15th in the qualification standings, while both Cameron Young and Keegan Bradley were overlooked despite being inside the top 11.
Thomas himself would joke that even he felt that Bradley should have got the pick after watching the Full Swing episode on that decision. Ultimately, only three American players would win more points than the 1.5 Thomas secured during a turbulent week.
Many would have hoped that that would prove to be a turning point for Thomas, who has not won on the PGA Tour since the 2022 PGA Championship. In fact, speaking on The Smylie Show back in January, Smylie Kaufman backed the 31-year-old to be the comeback player of the year.
Smylie Kaufman’s optimistic Justin Thomas prediction
“Yeah, it’s got to be Justin Thomas, right. JT’s the obvious pick here as the player that didn’t have a good year, like his worst year on the PGA Tour, but we’ve seen three straight top fives from him. He’s already started the comeback, so I’m picking Justin,” he said.
“I think he can play his way back into the top 10 in the world and I do think he’s going to win on the PGA Tour this year, whether it’s a signature event, but I do think he’s going to find his way contending in a major championship as well.
“He’s just too talented of a player, I think he’s gotten over the hump of what he’s working on in his golf swing, in his putting, I just think there’s finally some ownership there. Every player’s gone through it, Scottie Scheffler’s eventually going to go through a slump, and Justin’s been through his and I think he’s finally coming out the other side of it, so I’m going to take JT.”
Two steps forward, one step back
Unfortunately, Kaufman’s prediction would prove to be well wide of the mark as 2024 turned out to be another tough year for Thomas. There were definitely signs of significant improvement as he did make it all the way to East Lake and The Tour Championship this time around.
Thomas finished in the top 10 at the PGA Championship at Valhalla on a special week for him personally. Meanwhile, he produced hugely impressive opening rounds at both the Scottish Open and The Open Championship before falling away.
It was not particularly surprising when Jim Furyk left Thomas off his Presidents Cup team. Thomas was well off the pace, and Furyk’s decision proved to be vindicated as the US secured another victory in the event.
It was definitely a step in the right direction for Thomas – who is 30th in the world rankings at the time of writing – but clearly, there is a lot more work to do before he is back at anything like the level he once found himself.
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