“He’s not a weak player”: Justin Thomas’ Ryder Cup selection defended by PGA Tour legend
Justin Thomas' selection in the US Ryder Cup team as a wildcard pick by captain Zach Johnson has created a lot of stir in the golfing fraternity. While most of the fans and experts have been critical about his addition to the 12-man squad, there are a few who came out in his support.
Retired PGA Tour pro Lee Trevino recently spoke to Michael Breed on the SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio. He spoke about the US team for the upcoming Rome event. Trevino also defended Thomas' selection and called him a strong pick as the No. 12 player in the squad.
"Most of the time, your No. 12 guy is weak. You know, I know that Justin hasn’t been playing very well but he’s not a weak player. He's won two PGA’s, he's won 13 tournaments, and he's got experience," Trevino said.
Lee Trevino added to his point by throwing light on his record and called it "a winning record."
"If you look at his record, it's a winning record. I think this had a lot to do with it. I don't think it had anything to do with personality."
Lee Trevino also said that Justin Thomas is the partner of Jordan Spieth, who has shared a great record while pairing up together at the Ryder Cup events.
"That's Jordan Spieth's partner. And if you look at the record, it's pretty damn good."
Lee Trevino is a retired PGA Tour golfer who had registered 29 wins in his career. He also won four majors and missed just the Masters Tournament title to complete the Career Grand Slam.
What is Justin Thomas' record at the Ryder Cup?
The 15-time PGA Tour title winner had been part of the prestigious biennial event two times in his career. The 30-year-old golfer holds a record of 6-2-1 through his appearances in 2018 and 2021.
In his first appearance in 2018, Justin Thomas had two fourballs and a foursome partnering with Jordan Spieth. He also defeated Rory McIlroy in the singles match. He contributed four points, the most among all in the US team. He finished with a 4-1-0 record.
Later on, in the 2021 Ryder Cup, Thomas returned with 2-1-1 stats and contributed 2.5 points. He partnered again with Spieth and defeated Viktor Hovland and Bernd Wiesberger in the Foursome match. In the singles match, he defeated Tyrrell Hatton.
Justin Thomas is set to travel to Rome to participate in the third Ryder Cup of his career. Despite controversies, he was selected by Zach Johnson as a wildcard pick on August 29 at the PGA of America headquarters in Frisco, Texas.