Credit: Twitter
Brooks Koepka, who won the PGA Championship in May, has been selected by Zach Johnson as one of his six captain's picks for the U.S. Ryder Cup team. Koepka left the PGA Tour last year for the Saudi-backed LIV Golf League, which caused a stir among fans. Johnson announced his six choices—Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler, Collin Morikawa, and Sam Burns.
After recovering from a knee injury that could have ended his career, the five-time major champion tied for second at the Masters before winning his third Wanamaker Trophy in May. He finished 64th at The Open and tied for 17th at the U.S. Open, 29 points behind Xander Schauffele for the final spot on the automatic roster.
Another controversial pick is Justin Thomas, as he failed to qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs and missed the cut in three of the major championships this year, shooting in the 80s in two of them. It seems Johnson put more weight on team chemistry and Ryder Cup experience than recent form while making his captain's picks. He chose underperforming Thomas over reigning PGA Tour Rookie of the Year Cameron Young, Keegan Bradley, and Denny McCarthy, who finished higher than Thomas in Ryder Cup points.
The 30-year-old still has a wealth of experience, as he has been one of the Americans' best performers in international match-play competitions. Thomas has a 6-2-1 record in two previous Ryder Cup appearances and a 10-3-2 mark in three Presidents Cups, tallying 17.5 points for the U.S.
At Marco Simone Golf & Country Club outside of Rome from September 29 to October 1, the American team will likely face the odds against Europe. Rory McIlroy, Tyrrell Hatton, Viktor Hovland, and Jon Rahm, the FedEx Cup champions, have already qualified for the European team.
