Justin Thomas says he will put his friendship with Rory McIlroy aside as they will ‘hate each other’ at the Ryder Cup… as he makes Zach Johnson’s America squad despite his dismal form this year

• Justin Thomas made America’s Ryder Cup squad despite a dismal run of form 
• Zach Johnson picked him thanks to his impressive record in the competition 
• Thomas says he loves Rory McIlroy but hates him for 18 holes at the Ryder Cup 

The ability of Justin Thomas to temporarily detest his friend Rory McIlroy for 18 holes lies behind him finally getting the vote for the Ryder Cup.

The 30-year-old American’s past record in the team event was strong enough for captain Zach Johnson to overlook his relatively dismal form this year — and for his colleagues to want him alongside them in the sun-drenched trenches of the Marco Simone Club. 

Johnson confirmed as much on Tuesday, citing Thomas’s past Ryder Cup aggregate of six wins, two ties and one loss as carrying more weight than a summer of despair, which saw him miss three cuts in the majors.

The captain is banking on his player’s tendency to declare war on opponents in team events outweighing form, although that has picked up since he was named as one of Johnson’s six picks.

Thomas explained: ‘I love Rory and we get on extremely well. But we played each other in the Ryder Cup and we hated each other for 18 holes. It’s nothing personal. It’s just my wife knows — if Jill teed it up in the Ryder Cup for the other team, I would try to beat her pretty bad.’

Justin Thomas made the Ryder Cup despite his miserable run of form in recent times

Thomas’ (left) past record at Ryder Cups was enough for him to be selected for the American team 

Thomas (right) says he will put his friendship with Rory McIlroy (left) aside at the Ryder Cup

Yet only a few months ago he had almost given up the idea of being selected.

‘The US Open was a really, really low place for me,’ said Thomas. ‘I was playing arguably the best golf I’ve played in years going in there and I shot a thousand and almost finished last. I did not feel like I could win golf tournaments this past year with the state that I was in mentally.

‘Now I’m just in a good head space, and that’s what’s most important. The only thing that mattered to me was that Zach and the vice-captains and the other six guys (automatically qualified) wanted me on the team. If the six guys in that room don’t think that I’m what’s best for the team, then I don’t deserve to go.’

Thomas says he has stayed away from social media, which is perhaps just as well. On Monday the PGA Tour poked fun with a tweet featuring American comedy actor Kevin James looking slightly needy, making a connection with the player and his Ryder Cup selection. It was subsequently deleted.

Critics have suggested that the Americans’ focus on fostering a better team atmosphere is a big factor in his presence, and Johnson hinted that may have been part of the thinking. 

‘There’s a lot of invaluable elements when it comes to JT and this event,’ said Johnson. ‘I’m not saying that that was my persuasion to pick him, but that was part of it. We look at it both statistically and subjectively. It’s not just the last two or three months, there’s a lot of other factors involved there.

‘Subjectively, he (Thomas) has all the intangibles and the innate ability to rally guys around him, and be a leader vocally but also without having to say much.’

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