Justin Thomas wants to make Presidents Cup ‘just as bad’ as Ryder Cup

Justin Thomas scratched and clawed to a spot on last fall’s U.S. Ryder Cup Team, and he’s burning to do the same for next month’s Presidents Cup at Royal Montreal.

This week’s BMW Championship, the second leg of the three-event FedExCup Playoffs, marks the last event before the six automatic qualifiers are finalized for both the U.S. Team and the International Team. Each side will then make six captain’s picks after the TOUR Championship.

Thomas stands No. 16 on the U.S. Team standings into the BMW Championship, and he cannot move into the top six for automatic qualification even with a win. Still, his effort at Castle Pines Golf Club could potentially factor into the decision of U.S. Team Captain Jim Furyk, who has no shortage of worthy candidates for his selections.

“Last year, I had a lot of anxiety about making the Ryder Cup team,” Thomas said Wednesday ahead of the BMW Championship. “I want to make the Presidents Cup team just as bad.”

Thomas’ 2023 Ryder Cup campaign was best crystallized by his memorable tumble to the ground on the Wyndham Championship’s 72nd hole, as he failed to qualify for the FedExCup Playoffs by one stroke as gravity’s whims prevented his birdie chip from falling. It meant he couldn’t bolster his case in the Playoffs, but he ultimately received a captain’s selection from U.S. Team Captain Zach Johnson. “You don’t leave JT at home,” Johnson said at the time.

Thomas’ form has seen an uptick in 2024, although he’s still chasing his first PGA TOUR title since the 2022 PGA Championship. He ranks No. 22 on the FedExCup into the BMW Championship (compared to No. 71 a year ago), and he’s well positioned to qualify for his eighth TOUR Championship at East Lake.

Just because he’s playing better than a year ago, though, doesn’t mean his spot on the U.S. Team is safe. Contenders between the Nos. 7 and 15 spots on the standings (prime range for captain’s pick consideration) include Tony Finau, Russell Henley, Max Homa, Brian Harman, Sam Burns, Akshay Bhatia, Chris Kirk, Eric Cole and Denny McCarthy. There are several intriguing candidates behind him as well. It’s an esteemed group, and Thomas knows that his selection would mean a spot withheld from another worthy option.

Thomas isn’t focusing too much on proving himself to team leadership – his central focus is snapping that pesky two-year victory drought – but he knows strong play at Castle Pines wouldn’t hurt. If his desire to make the Ryder Cup team hindered his late-summer play a year ago, he believes that won’t be the case this time around.

“I think that's just the biggest difference is last year I was playing to try to play well to make the Ryder Cup team versus now I feel I'm trying to play well to try to win golf tournaments and try to have a chance at the FedExCup,” Thomas said, “and I feel like if I do those things, then that should be good enough for the Presidents Cup team.

“My want is there just as bad. It's just how I'm thinking about it in my head is a lot healthier and a lot better.”