“Hands down the worst tournament” “It’s the coolest event” - Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth open up about the Ryder Cup on Netflix’s Full Swing
In the sixth episode of the Netflix golf docuseries "Full Swing Season 2," titled "Pick Six," Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas offer insights into their experiences at the 2023 Ryder Cup.
Thomas, reflecting on his performance at the tournament, acknowledged his disappointment. Despite being selected by the captain for the team, Thomas faced challenges with his game throughout the event.
Discussing his overall performance in the 2023 Ryder Cup and other Major tournaments held that year, he admitted to struggling to meet his expectations.
Justin Thomas said:
"Hands down the worst tournament of my career. I just feel like someone with my ability should not even be capable of shooting scores like that. The good part is it was so bad that it felt like a fluke.
"The Masters hurt way worse than the U.S Open did. The U.S Open was like, dude, I just shot a million. Like, let's get out and play The Travelers next week and see what we can do. And it's a stupid sport I decided to play," he added.
Meanwhile, Spieth expressed his excitement for playing at the event. He said:
"It is the coolest event that we have in our sport, I think."
Additionally, he mentioned the team selection process for the Ryder Cup, where half of the players qualify based on their season performance, while the captain selects the rest based on who they believe will be the best fit for the tournament.
"Points are based on money earned through the season. Every PGA Tour event, every thousand dollars is a point, and in the Majors, it's one and a half points per thousand. If you win a Major, it's two points per thousand. So getting on the team, it's such a massive goal at the beginning of Ryder Cup years," he added.
It is important to note that Jordan Spieth was also the captain pick at the Ryder Cup 2023.
How did Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas perform at the 2023 Ryder Cup?
At the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome, the American team faced challenges, ultimately losing the tournament with a score of 16 1/2 to 11 1/2. Max Homa emerged as a standout performer among the team members. He contributed three and a half points to the team's total score.
Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth had mixed performances. Thomas showcased some success by winning one tournament and finishing in a tie in another, contributing one and a half points to the team. However, Spieth encountered difficulties with his game, managing only ties in two events and losses in two others.
However, Justin Thomas struggled with his throughout the last season. He missed the cut in six tournaments last season and was placed outside the top 70 in the FedEx Cup standings.
He did not play in the FedEx Cup playoff. Moreover, he failed to make the cut in three of the four Majors: The Masters, US Open, and The Open Championship. He finished T65 at the PGA Championship.
Meanwhile, Spieth struggled at the Ryder Cup but had a decent outing at the PGA Tour events in 2023. He did miss the cut in six tournaments last season but also recorded seven top-10 finishes and was the runner-up in one event.