Summary
FARMINGDALE, NY (AP) — U.S. Ryder Cup rookie JJ Spaun has received some much-needed wisdom from his veteran teammates, despite having won one major and rising to sixth in the world rankings. Justin Thomas, the player with the most Ryder Cup appearances on this U.S. team, told Spaun: “You earned your spot on this team. Don’t think of this as a gift or a choice. You have a major that many of us envy, and you deserve to be here.”
“Hearing that has helped me feel like a key player instead of a rookie just trying to make an impact,” Spaun, 35, said Tuesday at Bethpage Black. “That’s huge for my confidence.”
Last year, Spaun was on the verge of losing his PGA Tour card, but managed to finish 98th in the FedEx Cup. He is considered the true rookie on the U.S. team, as while others have played in the Presidents Cup, he has never competed in an international event as a professional.
The rookies—Spaun, Ben Griffin, Russell Henley, and Cameron Young—bring fresh energy to a team that has gone from the joy of winning the Ryder Cup at home in Whistling Straits, Wisconsin, in 2021, to the sadness of losing to Europe in Rome in 2023.
Key details
The team features five returning players: world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, Patrick Cantlay, and two-time major champions Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele, and Thomas. They endured the ups and downs of 2021 and 2023. Now, under the guidance of debutant captain Keegan Bradley, they are expected to help the newcomers adapt as the U.S. fights to reclaim the Ryder Cup in front of a cheering New York crowd.
Europe has only one Ryder Cup rookie, Rasmus Højgaard of Denmark, who has the advantage of having his twin brother, Nicolai, participate in 2023. “A lot of these guys have played in multiple Ryder Cups,” Spaun said. “I’m just trying to learn from them. This is a new stage for me, my first appearance on a national team in my career. I just want to know how they feel, so I can gauge how I’ll probably feel.”
Schauffele, who has been absent for the past five weeks due to the birth of his son, said Spaun asked him Monday how he feels year after year at these tournaments, and he was happy to share his experience. “I’m as nervous as anyone when I get to the first tee. I’m nervous when I need to make a putt,” Schauffele said. “But I told him there’s nothing more rewarding than being home and making a putt to win a hole, or even tying it if you’re in a bad situation, and getting the crowd excited quickly.”
Statements and context
Bradley, at 39, remains a prominent PGA Tour player and has considered becoming a player-captain. He's proud of his veterans for supporting the rookies. "What's really unique about this team is that everyone looks out for each other," Bradley noted. "JJ Spaun is the US Open champion and is willing to ask his teammates for advice on how to handle this, and the veterans are always willing to help."
“It makes my job a lot easier when our veteran players are so open to helping,” Bradley added, recalling how Jim Furyk, Phil Mickelson, and Tiger Woods supported him during his Ryder Cup appearances in 2012 and 2014. “I think going into these events as a team, you really need to trust those more experienced players.”
However, on this year's team, age doesn't always mean experience. Spaun and Henley, 36, are among the most veteran players, while Thomas, 32, is in his fourth Ryder Cup after making his debut in 2018. When asked about his leadership role, Thomas avoided the term "veteran," associating it with older players, "and I'm just not ready for that yet." However, he admitted: "It's coming at me head on. It's reality."
What's next?
“I know I'm one of the team's leaders,” Thomas said. “But I don't think there's necessarily one person on the team lately that I'd say, 'This is the person you should look to if you have any doubts.'”
Spaun, a California native and skateboarding enthusiast, confessed that he watched the Ryder Cup as a child, but never imagined he'd be a part of it. “I think that comes from confidence issues and knowing my limit, what it could be. I've always taken it one step at a time,” Spaun said. After struggling for eight full seasons on the PGA Tour, he changed his game and mindset with the help of his daughter, whose constant singing of “Let it Go” from the movie “Frozen” instilled a new mantra in him.
“I definitely have more self-confidence,” Spaun said, ingratiating reporters by singing a few notes of the Disney song. “I think I've learned to take a lot of pressure off myself, in terms of achieving certain things or setting limitations. I just tried to let go as much as possible.”
After a season filled with highlights — such as pushing Rory McIlroy to a playoff at The Players Championship in March, sinking a 65-foot putt to win the U.S. Open and facing Europe's Justin Rose in a FedEx Cup playoff — Spaun feels ready for the Ryder Cup stage.
"The greatest preparation is knowing that I've done it and that I can do it. That's the mindset I need to have going into this week," he concluded.
