US Ryder Cup star Justin Thomas makes bizarre ex-girlfriend analogy to describe waiting for Zach Johnson’s call-up: ‘That’s pretty much how I felt’

Justin Thomas has joked that waiting for US captain Zach Johnson to decide his team for this year’s Ryder Cup felt like trying to get back in touch with an ex-girlfriend.

Thomas was a surprise selection from Johnson ahead of the tournament in Rome, which gets underway on September 29. 

The two-time major winner’s selection was undoubtedly the most controversial, given Johnson has chosen to overlook the poor recent form which saw him miss out on the PGA Tour’s end-of season playoffs. 

However, the USA leader defended his pick and described Thomas as ‘the heart and soul’ of his team.

Thomas, meanwhile, has compared waiting for the decision to trying to reconnect with a former partner, before admitting more seriously that it had been a ‘brutal’ wait.

Thomas was a surprise selection in the US Ryder Cup squad after a run of poor form

He says waiting for Zach Johnson’s decision was like ‘trying to find any excuse to contact an ex-girlfriend’ 

‘It was brutal,’ he said. ‘I told Zach after the fact that I compared it to like if you had an ex-girlfriend that you were trying to find any excuse you could to reach out to them to get in contact, that’s pretty much how I felt like with Zach.

‘I understood it wasn’t going to be something where I text him and he’s like, “hey, just to let you know, we’re at like a 60 percent.” No, that’s not what I was looking for in any way, shape or form. It’s very tough when you can’t do anything about it.

‘It was like when Zach called, it was a lot of emotions, but like a relief was almost the first thing, and excitement. It was a lot. I had a lot of sleepless nights and then at one point it just kind of finally hit me, I had accepted the fact whatever was going to happen was going to happen, and I was OK with that. And I was always going to be supportive regardless of what happened. 

‘I’m just very excited, fortunate, happy that it ended the way that it did.’

Thomas has amassed a 6-2-1 record in Ryder Cup action, taking two and a half points from four matches at Whistling Straits in 2021. 

At the upcoming event, Johnson will likely look to rekindle the successful partnership between the 30-year-old and his childhood pal Jordan Spieth. 

‘I did put a lot on pressure on myself to make this team because it means so much to me,’ Thomas said after being included in the team at the end of last month. 

‘But it was a valuable learning experience for me. I’ll use it going forward. You can want something too badly, and there’s times this season I did. I’m very, very fortunate to be here.’