Justin Thomas was among the US players to battle gallantly on Ryder Cup Sunday and he’s now revealed the chat he had with Keegan Bradley just before coming out.
Thomas proved his worth to the team by beating Tommy Fleetwood on the 18th hole to ensure the USA’s momentum carried through a little longer.
In the end, it mattered little as a crucial putt from Shane Lowry ensured Europe retained the Ryder Cup on American soil.
- READ MORE: Luke Donald sends message to Keegan Bradley after winning the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black
However, things were much tighter than people imagined and at one point, Europe looked like they might have thrown it away.
The Americans surged all day and showed some mettle after a dismal opening two days. And speaking after his win over Fleetwood, Justin Thomas explained just what the attitude was.
Justin Thomas reveals chat with Keegan Bradley before Ryder Cup Sunday
Captain Bradley has come under fire in this Ryder Cup for some questionable decisions but he cannot be criticised for getting his team up for it on the Sunday.
Bradley seemed to be everywhere and with momentum shifting, he was sensing the impossible might be on.
For Justin Thomas, it was vital he proved his worth again too and the two-time major winner paid tribute to Bradley after his win over Fleetwood.
“He was awesome,” Thomas said of Bradley. “I told him that in the team room today when I saw him. I was like, being proud of the frame of mind that you got us in today.
“I feel for him. I feel for Jillian. They gave so much to all of us and the wives. They gave us the best possible situation and circumstances to win, and we unfortunately just didn’t come through for them. Just bummed for him and all of us.”
Asked to comment on the day in general and the ‘sea of red’ that started to take over the board, Thomas admitted it had been one to enjoy.
“It was fun. It was nice to win a session to start. But look, we just got completely outplayed the whole week. We all completely understood what was ahead of us and what the reality likely was, but all of us somewhere deep down in us, we believed that it could happen. But it just is…we knew that there was a chance that it ended up like this,” Thomas continued.
“We just went out and tried to take care of our business. It was just so fun. It was fun to give these fans something to cheer for instead of to cheer against. Well, it happened fast. Between Cam and I, it was so cool to see him make that putt, and I felt like I just hadn’t made one at all, and it was nice to finally make one. That’s the momentum we’ve been looking for the whole week. We just made it a day too late.”
More questions than answers remain for Team USA
While the likes of Justin Thomas, Cam Young and Scottie Scheffler showed that grit and determination we all know they have, this Ryder Cup has still left the US team with a lot of questions.
Yes, a Sunday fightback is something to build on but that is individuals going at it, not the team element.
Unlike Europe, the US seem to have a lack of cohesion when it comes to the fourballs and foursomes and ahead of 2027, that’s something they need to put right.
Whether that be player mentality or more data needed for the captains to choose their pairings, there is something amiss that needs addressing.
Right now, Team USA have been beaten twice in a row and overall, pretty comfortably. A Sunday fightback will not mask that fact.
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