Justin Thomas is “the heart and soul of Team USA.”

That’s what U.S. Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson called the former major winner when adding Thomas as one of his picks for the team that will compete in Rome in a few weeks. But will Thomas turn out to be an inspired choice or a problem for the U.S. team?

Book the tickets, gentlemen ✈

With his six Captain's Picks, @ZachJohnsonPGA selects:

🇺🇸@BKoepka
🇺🇸@JordanSpieth
🇺🇸@collin_morikawa
🇺🇸@RickieFowler
🇺🇸@JustinThomas34
🇺🇸@SamBurns66 pic.twitter.com/V7PbDlzaZZ

— Ryder Cup USA (@RyderCupUSA) August 29, 2023

Johnson’s other picks were easier to defend—LIV Golf star and multi-major winner Brooks Koepka, Collin Morikawa, the resurgent Rickie Fowler, Jordan Spieth and rising star Sam Burns.

You Only LIV Once

Of the group picked by Johnson, Koepka is likely the most intriguing choice if only for jumping to LIV last year. Koepka finished second at the Masters and won the PGA Championship, and was ranked 7^th in the Ryder Cup standings. Koepka said he was pleased to be on the team after recovering from injuries prior to heading to LIV.

“The last few years have been a lot, but at the same time, that’s what I’ve been grinding for, trying to get back in shape and to feel good for this moment,” Koepka said. “It’s gonna be a fun week.”

However, Johnson skipped Bryson DeChambeau. On the face of it, it isn’t a difficult decision. Dechambeau was ranked 54 on the Ryder Cup standings but did have four Top 10 finishes on LIV in recent months, including a win that saw him shoot 61-58 in the final two rounds.

Thomas’ time?

Picking Justin Thomas is a dicey move—one that could well determine what golf fans make of Johnson’s captaincy.

“[Thomas] has, without question, been the heart and soul of Team USA,” Johnson said. “Our emotional leader — he leads by example. His passion for the Ryder Cup is very evident. In my mind, he was born for this, and you just don’t leave JT at home.”

The only problem is that Thomas hasn’t played well this year. He had only three Top 10 finishes and missed the cut in five of his last eight events. He finished 71^st in the FedExCup standings, and often seemed lost in recent weeks as he struggled to find his game. Will he find it under the glare of attention at the Ryder Cup? That’s the question.

Rickie’s Back

It wasn’t that long ago that Fowler wasn’t even a consideration for the last two Ryder Cups as his game was in steep decline. That changed this year with a win in Detroit and eight Top 10 finishes. Though he was still only in 16^th spot on the Ryder Cup rankings, he was a good pick given his popularity with his teammates and his past Ryder Cup experience. He looks like a good choice—but will have to back it up with some strong play.

On The Outside Looking In

Johnson overlooked a couple of players that could make a good argument they should be in Rome, namely Keegan Bradley, Cameron Young, but perhaps most of all, Lucas Glover. Glover had five Top 10 finishes in his last eight starts, including two wins. Since the U.S. squad added more captain’s picks to allow it to add players who didn’t qualify for the team, but were playing exceedingly well, overlooking Glover seems odd.

Team Europe

Luke Donald made his six Captain’s Picks as well, selecting Ludvig Aberg, Tommy Fleetwood, Nicolai Højgaard, Shane Lowry, Justin Rose and Sepp Straka to complete his 12-man European Team for the 2023 Ryder Cup in Italy. They join Matt Fitzpatrick, Tyrrell Hatton, Viktor Hovland, Robert MacIntyre, Rory McIlroy, and Jon Rahm, and will take on the United States, at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, Rome, from September 29 to October 1.