Justin Thomas was among the players named in Keegan Bradley’s Ryder Cup team, which is now complete for Bethpage Black.
Thomas is one of 12 American Ryder Cup players, having been selected by the captain after missing out on an automatic place.
Bradley opted against picking himself for the team event at Bethpage Black, having experienced huge attention in that regard in the lead-up to his picks.
Thomas has faith in Bradley, who has taken over from Zach Johnson as the American Ryder Cup captain for this year’s tournament.
Johnson suffered a defeat to Team Europe in Rome in 2023, with their captain Luke Donald retaining his role for Bethpage Black.
Justin Thomas suggests what his relationship is now like with Keegan Bradley
Donald will make his captain’s picks next week, with the current Ryder Cup focus very much on America after Bradley confirmed his 12-man team.
Discussing his relationship with the captain and fellow PGA Tour player ahead of the competition, Thomas said on Golf Channel: “He is still the Keegan Bradley who calls me kid all the time.
“Maybe in the beginning I thought why is this guy Keegan calling me kid? Is he being disrespectful to me?
“But now I understand that is just who he is and that is the North East Keegan who I have come to know and love.
“I really have gotten to know Keegan so well and practice and play with him a lot and I respect so much how hard he works and his game.
“But after Rome it was funny. I joked with him now that we are past it. But watching our Netflix episode [I joked] that I really was pulling for you and not even me.
“I said you deserved the pick and I didn’t. After last year he was the first person I called to congratulate and said are we even now?
“You are not going to hold this against me if you have to pick me next year are you? So we have been able to have good laughs about it.
“But he was the first person to tell me that I want you to play p—— off this year. I want you to make that team.
“I don’t want to have to pick you. I want you to make it and I told him after the fact that even when he told me that I was on the team that I was still bummed that I didn’t make the team automatically because I wanted to do it for him.
“But he is just so motivating and fun to play for and he really has enjoyed, just like all of us have, getting to know him better.”
Why Keegan Bradley deserves huge praise after his Ryder Cup captain’s picks
Thomas is clearly relishing the opportunity to play under the guidance of Bradley, who has unfortunately missed out on a Ryder Cup spot once more.
The latter was snubbed for America for Rome in 2023, with Bradley left emotional as his nation went on to lose on away soil.
This time around, a playing captain role was very much a possibility, which would have been the first such case since Arnold Palmer in 1963.
But his wait to return to the event as a player must now continue, with a potential opportunity arriving at Adare Manor in Ireland in 2027.
For the time being, Bradley deserves huge praise for his decision, clearly deciding to put the team ahead of himself and not letting his emotions get the better of him.
He’s arguably been one of the best American golfers this season, but playing and captaining at such a huge event with such high stakes would have been a mammoth task.
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