'I Don't Have to Prove Anything:' Ryder Cup Pick Justin Thomas Says This Week Isn't a Referendum on His Game

Thomas clarified his coaching situation and said that his appearance at the Fortinet Championship is a tuneup for Rome. But he added that he won't read too much into the result.

Justin Thomas clarified his coaching situation Wednesday, saying he has been attempting to take ownership of his swing while he attempts to rebound from a poor 2023 season that saw him require a captain’s pick to be part of the U.S. Ryder Cup team.

Thomas, 30, a two-time major champion who did not win this year, is playing in the Fortinet Championship in Napa, California, the first event of the PGA Tour’s FedEx Fall. It is also being viewed as a tuneup for the Ryder Cup in two weeks.

Last week, Golf Channel reported that Thomas is no longer working with putting coach John Graham—which the golfer confirmed during a news conference Wednesday at Silverado Country Club—and that he was attempting to rely less on his father, Mike, who has been his only swing coach.

Justin Thomas's appearance at the Fortinet Championship this week is his first on Tour since the Wyndham Championship five weeks ago.

Logan Whitton/Getty Images

"I felt I lost a little bit of myself," Thomas said. “I think the Wyndham (Championship) was a big week for me because I was by myself. I’ve always taken great pride in being able to adjust both in practice and in tournament play on the run if things aren’t going well. I’ve been good at figuring it out and tweaking and changing things. I feel like I lost that a little bit.

"I am lucky to have a team that’s very, very involved. But for me personally, they were there too often to where I became dependent on that. I lost all ownership, all accountability. When things were going wrong, I was looking to them instead of looking at myself.

"He can come out as he wants as my dad. But sometimes I don’t need a coach. We can exchange texts and we’ll work every so often when we’re home or when it’s needed. It’s about me digging it out of the dirt and taking ownership."

It’s been a difficult year for Thomas, who has not won since the 2022 PGA Championship. He missed the cut in three major championships this year, twice shooting in the 80s.

He then failed to qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs, his tie for 12th at the Wyndham Championship leaving him in 71st position and one spot out. That led to considerable speculation about his Ryder Cup viability.

Thomas has played in three Presidents Cups and two Ryder Cups, with a 6-2-1 record in the latter competition.

"Golf's really hard, and 71st (in the FedEx) isn't awful I don't think," said Max Homa, the two-time defending Fortinet champion and the only other player in the field who will be competing in the Ryder Cup. “I think it's a testament to how great of a golfer he is. Like, 71st we can all be oohing and aahing like it's the worst thing ever, like how could you possibly be 71st? That's a testament to how great he is. A lot of people struggled to make the playoffs. Look at stellar, stellar players, I think two years ago Tommy Fleetwood maybe didn't make it, this year Shane Lowry and Adam Scott didn't make it. I mean, they're tremendous, tremendous golfers.

“I know Justin wants to play better obviously, and he obviously is very capable of it, but I don't think 71st is this awful season that we can raise our nose up to and say how could you ever play so poorly. I thought he played just fine."

Thomas, who said he was relieved when captain Zach Johnson called to give him the news that he was on the team, said he is not using this week at the Fortinet as any referendum on his game or his readiness for the Ryder Cup.

"I don’t think it’s that important," he said. "Now that I’ve been picked I don’t have to prove anything. It’s more that I’m trying to play well in a golf tournament. Play well and give myself a chance and get in contention.

"I know when I don’t play competitively for two or three weeks, I’m a little rusty. It’ll be a challenge to get back into it. I didn’t touch a club for two weeks. And then I was really excited to practice and play golf again because I knew I was playing in this tournament. I’ve put pressure on myself as it was and I don’t need to add any more. Just try to play as well as I can."