Ryder Cup asst. captain Fred Couples firmly defends ‘no-brainer’ Justin Thomas pick

Fred Couples and Justin Thomas at the 2019 Presidents Cup in Melbourne, Australia. | Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images

Fred Couples spoke on his Sirius XM Radio show about the Ryder Cup and defended Justin Thomas’ addition to the American team.

Fred Couples, who will serve as a Ryder Cup assistant captain for a third time in Rome, vehemently defended Justin Thomas’ selection to the American team.

He did so on The Fred Couples Show, the program he hosts on Sirius XM’s PGA Tour radio.

“I think [Thomas] is the strongest pick,” Couples said Tuesday. “That was a no-brainer.”

The last time the Ryder Cup was held on European soil, in 2018, the Americans got trounced. But Thomas was the only player to have any success in Paris, as he went 4-1-0 that week.

Now, the Americans are depending on Thomas and his superb match play record in Rome.

Justin Thomas was chosen by Zach Johnson to represent the U.S. in Rome.

Fred Couples explains how JT's past Ryder Cup experience was factored into the decision. Catch more of Fred's Ryder Cup insight Tuesday at 10pm ET!@fredcouplesgolf | @ZachJohnsonPGA | @JustinThomas34 pic.twitter.com/dgHG57M4Xf

— SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio (@SiriusXMPGATOUR) August 29, 2023

“We didn’t play the course in Paris the way it should have been played,” Couples admitted. “[Thomas] did. He will play [Marco Simone Golf Club] the way it should be played.”

Whoever hosts the Ryder Cup has the distinction of setting up the golf course.

Typically, whenever the competition is hosted in Europe, the Europeans narrow the fairways and lengthen the rough, which makes things difficult for the big-hitting Americans.

Team Europe did just that in Paris, and rumors have it that they will once again employ this tactic in Rome.

Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images

Justin Thomas hits his tee shot on the first hole during Sunday Singles at the 2018 Ryder Cup.

“One of the things [Thomas] can do is dissect a golf course,” Couples continued. “He is going to get the ball in play. But oh, well, he is driving it poorly. Okay. Well, when he gets there, he can get the ball in play. That’s what we're counting on.”

Indeed, Thomas struggled to find fairways throughout 2022-23, which marked the worst season of his career.

He found the fairway just 56.24% of the time, ranking 138th on tour. Despite that, he ranked 21st on the PGA Tour in strokes gained: tee-to-green.

“The analytics would say no,” Couples noted. “The way he plays golf, said yes.”

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko for more golf coverage. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough too.