Justin Thomas has thrown his support behind the idea of a Ryder Cup at St Andrews, even if he knows it’s unlikely to ever happen.
The Ryder Cup has grown into golf’s most watched and debated event. Not many tournaments match its drama or the emotions it stirs up on both sides of the Atlantic.
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In fact, he’s become one of Team USA’s more vocal supporters. There’s a narrative out there that American players don’t have the same passion for the competition as their European counterparts, but Thomas has never fit that mould.
While fans would love to see it played at The Home of Golf, logistics and course design mean it remains an unlikely option.
Justin Thomas speaks about the Ryder Cup
Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
During an appearance on The Smylie Show, Thomas was asked to pick a medal podium of Walker Cup venues – he played in the 2013 event – and had plenty of good things to say about The Old Course.
“St Andrews, I think, is gold. I would love, I just don’t see how it’s physically possible, but somehow, someway, for a Ryder Cup at St Andrews. There’s no way that could happen, but could you just imagine how sick that would be, and matches somehow coming down the Road Hole and coming down to 18? It would be epic, just so epic,” he said.
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“And I think a factor you have to add in there is your Walker Cup experience,” he added. “The golf courses you can play around it. I’m probably going to go play Shinnecock, go play Sebonack, go play Southampton.”
St Andrews bid to host the Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup has only become what it is today over the past twenty years. Comparing the grandstands from 2006 at The K Club to those at Le Golf National in 2018 or Bethpage Black last September really shows how much it has grown.
Even so, it’s a bit surprising that St Andrews never hosted the Ryder Cup during the 20th century.
There was an attempt to bring what was supposed to be the 2009 event there. But as reported by the Irish Examiner, St Andrews pulled out of contention to help increase Scotland’s overall chances of landing another Ryder Cup, with four other venues still in the running.
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Wales ended up hosting for the first time in 2010, with Celtic Manor getting the nod.
Scotland had to wait until Gleneagles got its turn four years later.
The scale of what’s needed now makes it unlikely that The Old Course will ever host. Still, it’s easy to see why Thomas thinks it would make for an unforgettable event.
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