Oh how quickly things can change in a year.
When Justin Thomas was selected for the Ryder Cup team this time a year ago, golf fans were outraged, pointing fingers at captain Zach Johnson and saying Thomas didn't deserve to be on the team. Some saw it as a crime, while others lamented Keegan Bradley, saying he deserved it more than anyone else, especially Thomas. After all, Thomas missed the cut in three of the 2023 Grand Slams and missed last year's FedEx Cup Playoffs.
Fast forward to Tuesday, and Presidents Cup captain Jim Furyk removed Thomas from his team, choosing Bradley, Sam Burns, Brian Harman, Russell Henley, Max Homa and Tony Finau instead. Thomas had a much better 2024 season, tying for eighth at his hometown PGA Championship. He also had five top-10 finishes and qualified for the Tour Championship. His year certainly wasn't up to standard, but it was a vast improvement from his disastrous 2023 season.
But Thomas will watch the Presidents Cup from home, marking the first time in eight years he will not play for the national team.
“There are a lot of guys I want on this team. It was a tough decision with JT. It was definitely a tough decision,” Furyk said of why he didn't select Thomas.
“But as a captain you have to make the best decision and get the best 12 guys together and put the pieces of the puzzle together and put the combination together. It's difficult. He has a great record in these events. But ultimately, that was the decision that was made.”
There's something about team match play that brings out the best in Thomas.
Thomas has played in three Presidents Cups with a career record of 10 wins, 3 losses, and 2 draws, contributing 11 points to Team USA, the most of any player in that span. His strong play directly contributed to the success of the United States in winning all three Presidents Cups. Thomas also has one of his best records in the Ryder Cup, currently with a career record of 7 wins, 4 losses, and 2 draws.
He was the heart and soul of the U.S. locker room and his passion for bringing out the best in others has many praising his selflessness as a teammate to Thomas and others, and his absence from this year's Presidents Cup team will take some getting used to.
“I love Thomas to death,” Furyk said of Thomas.
“I really respect JT and I've spent more time with him than anybody on the team. It makes it a little tough emotionally. As a captain, you try to make the best decision you can and then you go with that and move forward.”
Furyk explained how Thomas took his decision “exceptionally,” then recounted a brief conversation between the pair.
“I said to JT, he's a bit of a chameleon. I think he's a smart player. I think he can change. If the golf course wants us to hit the ball straight, hit the fairway and bring it into play, he can do that. If the course wants us to hit the ball hard and power is more important, I think he can do it,” Furyk said.
“It means something and it carries weight. I think current form means something and it carries weight. I think history carries weight. I think a lot of things play into it. When you look at the team and the record, I know a lot of people are looking at this summer, a lot of people are looking at the last few weeks of the year, and I take that into account. I also take into account the work that has been done. I take into account players that have been in form this season and players that have been in form over the last 12 months. All of that is important to me. You put it all together and you have pieces of a big puzzle and then you try to find the best answer.”
Despite strong performances in match play events and improved season results, Thomas was not included in Furyk's final Presidents Cup puzzle.
It's also worth noting that Thomas ranked 11th on the PGA Tour in strokes gained from tee to green. He also had a great ball-striking season, and his play around the greens ranked among the elite in the sport. But he struggled with putting. The two-time major champion lost .508 strokes on the greens, ranking 160th among PGA Tour pros this season. Perhaps that trait alone was a factor in Furyk's decision not to select Thomas.
Whatever the reason, it's over now, and it remains to be seen whether the decision was worth it, but at this point, it seems like a mistake to leave Thomas off the team.
Jack Mirko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation Playing Through. Follow For more golf articles, follow us on Twitter Jack Mirko In the same way.
