Only a few days until the Ryder Cup 2023 kicks off. Altough Justin Thomas had a hard time playing on the PGA Tour this season, Zach Johnson, couldn’t resist to nominate him for the Ryder Cup 2023, due to his numerous achievments in the past. At a recent press conference, Thomas expressed his excitement and anticipation for the upcoming Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club. Thomas, known for thriving in the Ryder Cup environment, shared his thoughts on the event, his performance, and his journey.
Thriving in the Ryder Cup
Thomas highlighted the uniqueness of the Ryder Cup experience, saying, “The Ryder Cup is as good as it gets. It’s something that’s hard to put into words.” He emphasized the unparalleled feelings and emotions associated with competing in such an esteemed tournament, and how it’s about “beating the person you’re playing against and just grinding it out.”
Addressing the ongoing chatter about his selection to the team, Thomas mentioned his strategy to avoid the negativity by staying away from social media. “Everybody’s got an opinion and theirs is right and everybody else’s is wrong,” he said, underlining his desire to focus on the game and his team members’ support, especially from the team captain, Zach Johnson.
The competitive spirit
J.T. described how the competitive nature of the Ryder Cup doesn’t lead to personal animosities among players, citing his friendly relation with Rory McIlroy. “I would say I would just kind of channel, honestly, the things that I feel because I don’t – Rory McIlroy is a great example. I love Rory. We get along extremely well. He’s been a role model of mine. He was super nice to me when I was first starting up. He still is. We see each other a bunch. Yeah, we played each other in the Ryder Cup and, yeah, we hated each other for 18 holes. Again, it’s nothing personal. It’s not a dislike as a person.”
Dealing with a difficult season
Thomas shared his journey through mental health struggles during the summer, explaining the importance of maintaining a positive headspace. “You have to work on what’s going on between your ears just like I do my yardages with my wedges,” he mentioned, crediting his mental coach, Julie, for helping him work through his thoughts and find a balanced mental state. He emphasized the importance of developing a mental “toolkit” to stay focused and positive during games.
Facing Challenges
When asked about dealing with challenges on the golf course and the absence of a trusted person to talk to, Thomas responded with the analogy of working on one’s swing. He explained, “It’s the same thing as working on your swing. You don’t necessarily have a swing coach out there with you. It’s just the work that you do, you have that trust and you almost have that, you know, she calls it like a toolkit of things that we’ve worked on…”
Thomas emphasized the dynamic nature of the game, stating, “Every week is different. Maybe I’m hitting it really well and I just need to focus on these three things to be more successful. Okay, great. Maybe I’m not hitting it good and these are the things I need to focus on to be more successful…”
Partnerships in Golf
Reflecting on his playing partners, Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay, Thomas praised their golfing abilities. He mentioned, “I mean, they are both extremely talented and complete golfers, first and foremost. They don’t really have a weakness.” He further highlighted Cantlay’s strengths, saying, “He drives it really far and he drives it really straight. He has a good iron game and his short game is ridiculous.”
(This text was created with the help of AI)