As months of speculation about his inclusion in the Ryder Cup team comes to an end, Justin Thomas’ place in the American squad has received a thumbs up from none other than Rory McIlroy. The Irishman who, along with Viktor Hovland and Jon Rahm form the bulwark of the Continentals’ challenge asserted on a show on golf.com.
McIlroy dismissed the criticism surrounding JT’s place on the American roster as simplistic, and averred that it was a ‘no-brainer.’ McIlroy went on to add that irrespective of JT’s form (or lack of it thereof) in recent months, he remains the one player that a number of European players would not want to face at the Ryder Cup.
“I don’t think so, I thought the whole JT thing — the whole conversation around it was unjustified,” McIlroy said. “In my opinion being a European, and knowing that I have to see some of these guys — honestly there's other guys on the team that I’d rather face than JT.”
McIlroy’s comments underline the fact that success in matchplay is driven by more complex considerations than just how well someone has scored in individual matchplay events. And if Thomas’ 6-2-1 all-time record in the Ryder Cup is anything to go by, he’s unlikely to prove his detractors right.
