More than two months after Team USA's 15-13 defeat to Team Europe at the Ryder Cup, the fallout is continuing with details from the American camp regarding an unfavorable course set-up at Bethpage Black.
Justin Thomas shared with the No Laying Up podcast this week that Team USA were left unhappy with the speed of the putting surfaces at the Farmingdale, New York layout despite specific instructions from captain Keegan Bradley ahead of time to make them around 13 on the stimpmeter.
Traditionally, green speeds on the PGA Tour are a little faster than those on the DP World Tour. And although many of Luke Donald's side regularly appear on US soil, the hosts still felt they could gain an advantage by having slicker greens.
However, the target areas were apparently significantly slower than players had expected and one of the USA's potential advantages was taken away as Europe raced into an almost unassailable lead through the first two days.
And, according to Thomas, this situation led to arguments between Team USA and the Bethpage Black greenkeepers during the event itself.
Asked whether the greens were as slow as analysts and commentators had suggested at the time, Thomas said: "Yeah, I don't really understand that.
"I don't know why they weren't at all what Keegan had asked for. I mean, he had been pretty clear of asking for a certain speed and wanting it fast enough. I watched them argue with us that they were 13s [on the stimp].
"And it's like, 'guys, we play golf every week, like, look on TV at how many guys are leaving putts short. Nobody is getting... You can't have a putt, roll, three feet, four feet past the hole. Like these greens are slow, speed them up.'
"And it was just bizarre because that's not something you would expect at a home Ryder Cup."
Thomas, who secured two points from four matches at Bethpage courtesy of a thumping four-ball win alongside Cam Young on Friday and a gutsy singles victory over Tommy Fleetwood, was quick to admit that Team Europe were the better of the two teams.
The American did, however, share his mild frustration over losing a potential edge out of the gate due to conditions not being as requested.
He continued: "And again, that's not an excuse, they [Team Europe] had to adjust to them just as much as we did.
"But that's kind of a fun advantage you generally have is like being able to do that a little bit, and it was just so frustrating that we were being fought with and argued with on the speed of the greens that we asked for. So, that was bizarre."
In the meantime, Thomas is continuing his rehabilitation after undergoing microdiscectomy surgery last month, a procedure his good friend Tiger Woods has experienced several times over the years.
Also on the No Laying Up podcast, Thomas explained he is likely to miss "a couple of events" next year and shared an update on the current state of his health.
Thomas said: "I’ll probably miss a couple of events in ’26. It’s so weird. I walk completely fine. I feel like I could go walk as much as I possibly want right now, but I can’t do anything.
“So the weirdest part is not doing anything because I’m not supposed to, not because I physically can’t.”
