Justin Thomas Shares Honest Thoughts on FedEx Cup Playoffs Amid Ryder Cup Pursuit

Sitting just outside the FedEx Cup playoffs bubble, Justin Thomas has been in desperate search of some solid finishes on the PGA Tour. He added two additional tournaments to his schedule and is currently making a run at the Wyndham Championship to extend his season.

According to Thomas, however, his last-minute push to save his disappointing 2022–2023 season has been driven by something else: the Ryder Cup.

After posting a 4-under 66 on Saturday at Sedgefield Country Club, Thomas spoke on his pursuit of a spot on the 2023 U.S. Ryder Cup team, and how much the biennial event means to him.

Thomas’s honest thoughts were prompted when a reporter asked whether future goals—such as making the upcoming Ryder Cup squad and the FedEx Cup playoffs—creep into his mind on the golf course. In response, Thomas offered a telling response about the PGA Tour’s postseason structure, which was first implemented in 2013.

“That’s hurt me all year. I mean, I want to make the Ryder Cup team so bad. I mean, it’s so important to me. I mean, I legitimately would rather make the Ryder Cup than the Playoffs, which is really, really messed up to say, but it’s the truth,” Thomas shared.

The two-time major champion went on to describe just how difficult it has been to avoid those Ryder Cup thoughts, and why the forward-looking mindset has come back to bite him.

“I think that's why I played so poorly the last month and a half or two months. Like it's just I'm putting so much pressure on myself to play well, it's very similar to what happened to me in 2016. I felt like I started to try so hard at the end of the year when if I just would have kept doing what I was doing and trust my ability and my talent, then it could have been good enough. Hopefully I learn from my mistake and play well tomorrow and just see what happens,” Thomas said.

If Thomas posts another strong round tomorrow in Greensboro—where he sits T11—he’ll be solidly in the mix for a U.S. team captain’s pick. As one of the strongest Ryder Cup competitors of his generation, Thomas’s performance at the Wyndham Championship might be enough for consideration. Thomas has a 6-2-1 record in his two previous Ryder Cup appearances. Plus, Zach Johnson, the captain of this year’s U.S. squad, expressed some indicative confidence in Thomas at the British Open.

“I might be slightly concerned, like I said, as a friend, but I’m not worried about him because I know what he does and I know what he’s capable of,” Johnson said.

“Bottom line is this game is really hard. There’s going to be peaks. There’s going to be some valleys. Let’s hope whatever sort of non-peak he’s in, it’s short,” he continued.

Heading into the final round of the Wyndham Championship, Thomas will look to go low as he can. Tied with Nick Hardy, Kyle Westmoreland, and Thomas Detry, he sits at 9 under for the tournament, nine shots behind the co-leaders Billy Horschel and Lucas Glover.

“If I just don't get it done for what I need to get done this week, then it sucks and my year's over,” Thomas said. “But, you know, fortunately for me, I've been in some tough situations before with majors, trying to win tournaments and team events where I feel like I've had a lot of pressure on me. Hopefully I'll be able to, you know, kind of use some of those past experiences for tomorrow if I'm feeling any of it.”

Thomas needs a finish of solo 18th or better to move on to next week’s playoff event, the FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis.

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