US Ryder Cup stars ft. Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler shed light on reasons behind Zach Johnson's unsuccessful 2023 bid
The Ryder Cup and Zach Johnson are still making headlines even though it has been seven weeks since Team USA's defeat in Italy. Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler, and Xander Schauffele, all members of Johnson's team, recently shared their thoughts on their captain's leadership.
Thomas, Fowler, and Schauffele were at last weekend's grand opening match to inaugurate the Panther National. It is the first golf course designed by Thomas in collaboration with the golf legend Jack Nicklaus.
A few days earlier, Zach Johnson reflected on his role as head of the American team for the first time. For this reason, the three current stars of the PGA Tour were asked during the match for their opinion on what Johnson had said.
The common denominator was that all three felt that the players bore the greatest responsibility for the outcome, not the captain. Here is what each of them said, according to Bunkered:
Justin Thomas:
"The No. 1 regret he should have is we should have played better. We all told him that, 'Zach, it’s easy to look back after a week where they just played monumentally better, and we did not play well. It’s easy to say you should have changed things.’ We just should have played better for him."
Rickie Fowler:
"All it comes down to is we didn’t play as well as the Euros did. Zach is loved by everyone. He was great. I wish I would have been healthier that week and wish I would have been playing better and feeling better about my game."
Xander Schauffele:
"We all just wish we would have done better so Zach wouldn’t have to think this way. When we lose, the captain gets all the heat. When we win, the players get all the credit. We wouldn’t be having this conversation if I played better or any of the guys you talked to today played better."
Justin Thomas earned 1.5 points in four matches during the 2023 Ryder Cup. Xander Schauffele could only contribute one point in four chances, while Rickie Fowler lost in his two appearances.
What has Zach Johnson said about his performance during the Ryder Cup?
Zach Johnson had offered virtually no opinion on the work done by his team and himself during the 2023 Ryder Cup. His first thoughts on the matter were shared a week ago, during the activities of the RSM Classic.
This was part of what Zach Johnson had to say, according to Bunkered:
"I’ve got a lot of 20/20-hindsight things that I certainly think about. Arguably, some regrets. But I think again something of that magnitude, win or lose, you’re going to have that, that’s sports. And I think that’s when you care, you’re passionate about something, you’re going to have those natural feelings."
After the European victory at the Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, many comparisons were made regarding the work of both teams prior to the competition. The general feeling is that the preparation of Zach Johnson's team was not as thorough as that of the Europeans.
Suffice it to say that all the players under the command of Luke Donald kept playing tournaments until the week before the Ryder Cup. On the American side, it was quite the opposite. After finishing the TOUR Championship in August, they stopped all competitive activity.
Only two American players played a tournament before the Ryder Cup (Fortinet Championship), Max Homa and Justin Thomas. The fact that the U.S. team only made a reconnaissance trip to the course right before the event did not go unnoticed by fans and the media.