Team USA Captain for the upcoming Ryder Cup, Zach Johnson, has named Justin Thomas, Brooks Koepka, Jordan Spieth, Collin Morikawa, Rickie Fowler, and Sam Burns as his captain’s picks for the tournament.
“A lot of time, lot of energy has gone into this process,” said Johnson.
“I’m very confident in these six [picks]. That confidence comes from simply surrounding myself with great people.
“These are six guys who make the other guys whole.”
LIV golfer Koepka, one of those picked for selection, said: “I’m honored to represent my country again as a part of this year’s Ryder Cup team, and excited to defend the cup with my teammates in Rome. Let’s go USA!”
The six captain’s picks will join the six automatic qualifiers, Scottie Scheffler, Wyndham Clark, Brian Harman, Patrick Cantlay, Max Homa, and Xander Schauffele, to complete the squad in hope of defending their title after dismantling Team Europe 19-9 in Wisconsin the last time out in 2021.
Team Europe’s squad to take on Team USA will be finalized on Monday 4th September when team captain Luke Donald will reveal his captain picks. So far, Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, and Viktor Hovland have cemented themselves as automatic qualifiers.
The 2023 Ryder Cup will take place between 29 September – 1st October at the Marco Simone Golf Course in Rome. This is the first time the biennial team competition between the U.S. and Europe will be hosted in Italy.