Justin Thomas spoke candidly ahead of his fourth Ryder Cup, reflecting on nerves, leadership, and what it means to play in front of New York fans. JT explained that nerves aren’t weakness but proof that the moment matters: “If you weren’t nervous on the first tee or with a putt to win, that would be concerning.” He admitted he’s becoming one of the leaders on Team USA, though he still resists calling himself a “veteran.”
Thomas praised captain Keegan Bradley for bringing energy and authenticity to the role, joked about Scottie Scheffler’s “aura,” and highlighted the unique pressure of playing in front of fans who expect nothing less than victory. He also compared European chants to “group texts of 10,000 people,” recalling how the Fleetwood song even made it into his family life. For JT, the Ryder Cup is about embracing nerves, leaning into the atmosphere, and giving fans plenty to cheer for.
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Justin Thomas is with us now at the 2025 RDER Cup. Justin, welcome to your fourth RDER Cup. Let’s go ahead and jump right into questions. Starting right here on three. Hey JT. Um, obviously there’s no real preparing for the Ryder Cup, but I’m kind of curious generally how you get good at playing golf while you’re really nervous. Like how do you actually get good at that skill? Uh, I think you just I mean being going through it as often as you can. I think it’s it’s similar to trying to win a golf tournament. Uh, the the more often you’re there, the the more you can learn from mistakes or failures. Uh, what you what you maybe did wrong that you feel like you could do right next time. Um, and I think I mean it’s all in the same, right? I guess trying to win golf tournaments, you’re very nervous. uh maybe sometimes more than others, but I think it’s just being put in that arena and and and figuring out kind of how you’re feeling and and how to cope with that the best that you can. And um yeah, that’s it’s probably the best way I’d describe it. And a lot of pros, they try to say that, you know, when they feel that pressure, they reframe it as like this is a good thing, you know, nerves are. Is that I’m just trying to understand that a little more. Is that how you think too about this stuff? Definitely. I I think it I mean I remember I don’t know exactly what age it was, but I I definitely remember at a young age, you know, being nervous was not cool. It it was like it it was showed like a sign of weakness. Um it at least that’s what I thought, you know, when I was when I was a little kid. It’s like if you’re nervous, it’s because you’re you’re scared and and you don’t want to be there kind of thing. But uh I mean being nervous is is is great. I I I think if any of us were out here on the first tea or we had were in a position to have a putt to win the Ryder Cup or win a match and we weren’t nervous, um that would be extremely concerning for our profession. Uh we would we would need to take a long hard look at ourselves in the mirror because it’s, you know, this is what we do. This is what we practice for and and being in those moments. So if it didn’t mean something to you, you obviously wouldn’t be nervous. So um yeah, I think that’s why. Let’s go up top to Mike 19. Uh Justin, we talk a lot about the importance of leadership in the Ryder Cup. You obviously get that from your captain and your vice captains, but you need it from the players on the golf course as well. Do you see yourself given your experience and personality as one of the leaders of this team? And and also, how does that tie in with playing in front of these home crowds this week? I think I have a hard time viewing myself as that. Um, I maybe just I don’t know if I’m quite ready to to call myself the the the veteran or like the cuz I I think I associate the veteran with an older player and I’m just not quite ready for that yet. Uh, but it’s it’s coming at me head on. It’s just the reality. But, um, you know, I’ve I’ve I’m going to be anything that I I feel like I need to be for this team, for certain players, for the captains. Uh I yeah I I I know that I’m one of the leaders on the team, but I don’t think there’s there’s necessarily um one person on the team the last handful couple teams I’ve been on that have been like this is the person that you know when in doubt you’re just kind of looking at them like what do we do or what’s going on kind of thing. And I think that’s kind of what has has made this um this group you know this age group or whatever you want to call it a little bit different and special. But but in terms of um using the home atmosphere uh as well, I mean, do you think you’re going to need to do much of that? Um you always can. Um because I think that’s it’s something that’ll be different or unique about, you know, New York maybe versus other uh other home rider cups, if you will, is is um they expect us to play well and they want us to play well and and if we don’t, they’re going to be upset with us and disappointed in us and rightfully so. You know, I think New York is is is known as a, you know, they want they like their championships. They they want to win and and it’s no different for the RDER Cup and and you know, that’s what we’re gonna we’re gonna try to do for him and um and give him a reason to cheer, you know, even more. But it’s I’ I’ve said it all year and all along is I’m happy to have him on my side. That’s for sure. Stay over here. Mike 13. Hi, Justin. I don’t know if you heard Rory Mroy said that the European players have had these virtual reality headsets on to simulate kind of abuse they might get from the crowd and noise and that sort of thing. I don’t know if you’ve heard that and and whether during your four previous appearances whether you’ve experienced anything that’s been particularly bad or heard anything funny or anything like that or does this stuff get maybe slightly overblown? I don’t know. Probably a little bit of everything. I hadn’t heard that. Um that’s kind of wild. I’d be curious to see what that looks like. But, uh, it’s there’s so much noise that it’s kind of hard to you you can’t hear all of it. You definitely hear some stuff. Um, it’s tough. I go back and forth because there’s a part of me that’s like it, you know, we’re we’re put in this arena. Like, this is the the it’s maybe a little bit more so than it was my first couple years on tour of of being more vocal and fans being more vocal, but like a Ryder Cup, you kind of know what you’re going to get. Um, but then it’s also like if we want to be maybe viewed as a little more so as athletes and and whatever it may be, then it’s kind of, you know, it’s a one-off type thing. I think all the players are in the same boat is is once it ever gets to a point of of being a little bit more personal of families, family members, you know, look, like if we’re not playing well and you’re talking trash about us, like we probably deserve it. But, you know, once if if you start getting into the the loved ones, that’s I think when everybody starts really kind of getting a little bit uh a little bit chippy. But um you know I I go back and forth. There’s obviously never in any sport a time and place to get personal or disrespectful, but at the same time it is the Ryder Cup and um you know it’s a it’s a home game for a reason and there’s been plenty of good, plenty of bad on both ends and and you just uh you hope to give them reason to cheer for the good. Doug, go ahead. Justin, this came up, you know, many years with with Tiger. And so I’m I’m wondering, is is Scotty is he one of 12 this week or is he looked upon differently just given what he’s accomplished in the game the last two or three years? He’s definitely one of 12 when it comes to the team. I mean, I think it is very very cool and unique as it, you know, everybody in our team it it is. It’s not um it’s not like Scotty get, you know, h gets more points for winning a match than than I do or, you know, JJ Spawn or Colin Morawa or Xander, whatever it is. And it’s uh so at the end of the day, it’s just all about going and winning your point. I think it’s um you know, it it’s all of us are very on our team are very happy that he’s on our team uh this week. So, we finally don’t have to try to figure out how to beat him in an individual tournament. Uh it’s nice that he’s on our side, but um no, I I he’s just viewed as as one of the 12 and and you know, we’re all all one and the same, I’d say. Does he have an aura? And if not, why not? It’s a good question. Um I don’t know. Um he he doesn’t to me, but I also feel like I I know him well enough that uh even if he did, I wouldn’t give him that credit. and and let him let that get to his head. Uh because he’s competitive and and can get chirpy enough that that’s the last thing I need is him knowing that if I did feel that way, but uh I’m sure he does to some people and rightfully so. Right. Right here on four and Justin over here. Um your captain Jim Bradley is just seven years older than you. Uh and I was wondering looking back maybe over the course of your career when you came on to the tour, what did you see him as? Did you see him as a senior figure? Was it was he someone we were looking up to or was he maybe also part of your peer group, your your sort of age group? He’s not that far apart. Uh he I mean he can be the first to tell you he he’s always been pretty quiet, kind of been to himself and and I think this this captaincy has been the best thing that that’s happened to him. I mean he’s um it’s brought out a different side of him. We we keep joking, you know, it’s like you have to talk to all of us and and you know, you can’t just kind of hide from us anymore. you got you got to hang out with us and whatnot. But I’ve known Keegan since I I first moved to Jupiter, which is, you know, been like 10 years now, which is wild. So, we we’ve practiced at the same same places. So, we we’ve we’ve always known each other and and we’ve definitely gotten a lot closer over the last probably four, five, six years just cuz I think we both respect each other’s games and also work ethics. Um, I mean, he he’s he’s out practicing a lot and and I I respect a lot of of the level of golf. He’s continued to play and and you know, playing the best golf career, you know, at this age and it’s it’s it’s awesome. So, um, I I don’t I don’t necessarily I I definitely look at him more as as one of us, but I also think it’s that’s kind of the the unique part of golf, you know what I mean? Just a quick follow, is that a change to the vibe that you saw at the previous Rder Cups where the captain was maybe a little bit more of a prominent distant figure that you were Yeah. Yeah, for sure. I mean, it it I think you’d be lying if you said it was it was the same. I mean, you know, you have a guy who’s competitive and winning the the highest level golf tournaments, top 10 player in the world, um you know, to also very good players, but it’s they’re just two completely different things. Next seven. Justin, as we know, the fans bring so much to this event. Can you tell us from your perspective what the difference is between the European fans and the American fans, what they all bring to the table? And do you have a particularly fond memory, a song or a chant or something you experienced out in the course that you remember? Uh yeah, the the the chance I don’t know how the Europeans do it. It’s really impressive to be honest. Um, I don’t know if there’s like a a a group text of like 10,000 people that they just come up with these these things, but they’re pretty they’re pretty awesome and impressive. Um, I don’t know. I mean, I think obviously the the the history of golf, you know, it it lies deeper and and the um it just it’s very different. I think the the it’s the same end goal, right? Obviously, they’re they’re very excited to the the Europe I’m sorry, the US fans are very excited to cheer for us just like the European fans are excited to cheer for for Europe. Um the I mean our daughter’s name is is Molly and uh I mean the amount of times I had that Tommy Fleetwood chant stuck in my head and Jill and I both have caught ourselves singing Molly like the right along to the Tommy uh song. So, it’s um yeah, there there’s a lot of them and and I you know, I have a lot of respect for for the European fans just like I do the the US fans. It’s um you know, it’s what makes I’d say weeks like this so incredibly special. Got time for one more. We’ll wrap it up with Steve right here. Justin, I’ll ask another leaderly question. Um Xander’s obviously been through a lot the last few weeks, obviously becoming a dad, hasn’t played a lot of golf. How do you guys as teammates sort of make him feel comfortable and sort of help him get back into this at a big time? One thing about Xander is you don’t have to make him feel comfortable. He um I mean I played a bunch, you know, golf with him probably four three or four days last week and um the first day just being back with him. He he’s he’s it was good to have him back. He’s just chirping all the time and he, you know, um I mean he’s he’s excited. He’s rested, you know. He’s uh well, I guess somewhat rested, you know, with the the baby situation at home, but um he’s excited and ready to go. But no, Xander never has to try to make himself feel feel comfortable or we don’t have to try I’m sorry. We don’t have to try to make him feel comfortable because he’s uh you’re always going to get the same Xander no matter what. And that’s the one that we all know and love and sometimes hate. Let’s do one more real quick with Mark right here. Hey Justin, I just have a question regarding the captains. You’ve been in three of these things. Can a captain make a difference Router Cup week? And if so, what what kind of difference, for example, can Keegan make? whether it’s the vibe in the room, the transparency, the pairings, that kind of thing. I think they can. I think it’s it’s extremely extremely important. Um I think it’s uh I mean, I just I remember thinking Luke did an unbelievable job in Rome with that, you know, having the the variety of of age groups, the the different demographics, you know. I mean I think having you know Jose Maria there for for Rahm and Sergio obviously very very close with them and I mean I think what um Nikolai’s I think Raasmus was there the his brother I mean it’s something like that like I think that’s something that the Europeans have done a great great job of of utilizing that because if it’s something that makes you know a couple rookies more comfortable um making making this week as easy and and and comfortable for everybody as possible I think is is the main goal and uh I think Keegan did an unbelievable job with that and um it is I mean it’s just trying to get trying to get kids and Neds to shut up is really the only thing that you have to to worry about but it’s you know those guys will do anything for any of us and it’s um you know it keeps it very light and Uh,
