Justin Thomas final day Ryder Cup antics cause a stir: "Pathetic"

Justin Thomas caused a stir with European Ryder Cup fans during the final day of the contest at the Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome.

Ben Smith

01 Oct 2023

Justin Thomas final day Ryder Cup antics cause a stir: "Pathetic"

Whether he is playing in a PGA Tour event, Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup, nobody can accuse Justin Thomas of not playing without passion.

The American came out with a point to prove on Sunday here at the Marco Simone Golf & Country Club.

It had not been a great Cup for Thomas before he teed it up in his singles match against Sepp Straka.

He tied his opening match on Friday afternoon with Jordan Spieth against Tyrrell Hatton and Viktor Hovland before losing the two subsequent matches he played on Saturday with his good buddy.

Ryder Cup 2023 Sunday Singles LIVE: "Surely Europe can't bottle this now?!"

Thomas also had a 2-0 singles record to protect and he was also fired up after the treatment his teammate Patrick Cantlay had been receiving.

Cantlay decided to go hatless for the week and it was speculated he wasn't doing so as a protest for not being paid to compete in the Ryder Cup.

The American said the story was false. The hat didn't fit and it was always his plan. But he stopped short of answering whether or not Ryder Cup competitors deserve to be paid.

Thomas decided to offer some moral support for Cantlay by not wearing a hat for his match against Straka.

And throughout his match he frequently tipped an imaginary cap to the European fans.

Take a look at how he reacted to sinking this birdie putt.

Reaction game is strong. @justinthomas34 | #RyderCup | #GoUSA pic.twitter.com/murpz5zQyA
— Ryder Cup USA (@RyderCupUSA) October 1, 2023

It prompted an interesting reaction online, with some suggesting it was too little too late as Team USA had trailed by five points going into the singles.

No team has ever come back from five points or more to win the Cup.

"Every putt," one said. "Starting to be pathetic."

Another added: "Imagine playing so bad you need to manufacture hostility and create drama to spur some life in you."

This person said: "He's lost two and tied one game out of three - maybe he should focus less on his antics and more on his game?"

What do you think about JT's antics? Send us a message on our social media channels.

Ryder Cup 2023 results

Sunday singles:

Tied Jon Rahm vs. Scottie Scheffler

4&3 Viktor Hovland vs. Collin Morikawa

Justin Rose vs. Patrick Cantlay 2&1

3&1 Rory McIlroy vs. Sam Burns

Matt Fitzpatrick vs. Max Homa 1UP