JJ Sbau first appeared on the Ryder Cup stage, Thomas expects him not to "play soy sauce"

September 25, this is the golden advice that Ryder Cup team US rookie J.J. Spoul needs, even after he has won the Grand Slam, climbed to sixth in the world rankings, and automatically qualified for Team US.

Justin Thomas, who participated in this year's Ryder Cup, told the U.S. Open champion: "You have won a place in the U.S. team by strength. Don't think it's a gift or wild card. You have a Grand Slam title that many of us envy, and you deserve this team. "

" Hearing this makes me feel more like a core player than a rookie who just wants to show presence," 35-year-old Spur said Tuesday at Bespage Black Stadium. "This is crucial to my confidence. "

A year ago, Spoul was facing the crisis of losing his PGA Tour card, until he later launched a counterattack and rose to No. 98 in the FedEx Cup rankings. Of the four new players of Team USA, he is perhaps the purest "rookie" - everyone else has participated in the Presidents Cup, and he has never participated in any international team event as a professional player.

The four rookies, Spur, Ben Griffin, Russell Henry and Cameron Young, are injecting new vitality and a new perspective into the team. The team has experienced both the ecstasy of holding the Ryder Cup at home at Whirlpool, Wisconsin in 2021, and the bitterness of losing to Europe in Rome in 2023.

The five returning American players - world number one Scottie Schefler and Patrick Cantley, as well as two-time Grand Slam winners Colin Morikawa, Zander Sheoffer and Thomas - have personally experienced the peak of 2021 and the trough of 2023. Now under the leadership of the new captain Kegan Bradley, they need to help the newcomers grow rapidly and strive to regain the Ryder Cup in front of the doomed New York audience.

The only one new player in the European team - Denmark's Hasmus Hagrid. He doesn't need to seek far away to experience the atmosphere, as his twin brother Nikola played in the 2023 event.

"There are many people on the team who have participated in the Ryder Cup many times," Sbau said. "I am trying to learn from them. This is a new stage for me, and it is almost the first time I have played for the national team in my career. I want to understand their feelings so that I can predict my possible reaction. "

Shaoffer, who just took five weeks off for his son, revealed that Sbau asked him on Monday "I am happy to share what I feel about participating in this kind of game every year."

"I was as nervous as anyone when I stood on the first hole tee; my heart beat faster when the putts were tied," said Sheoffelle. "But I told him that the biggest reward was to push a winning putt at home, or equalize the number of holes at a disadvantage, instantly igniting the passion of the fans. "

39-year-old Bradley is still a top player on the PGA Tour and even considered serving as a player. He is proud that the veterans take the initiative to help newcomers.

"What's unique about this team is that they really take care of each other," Bradley said. "J.J. Spoel, as the U.S. Open champion, is still willing to ask his peers for experience, and veterans always give them all. "

"I've been much easier when senior players are so open and inclusive," he added, recalling the guidance from Jim Forrek, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods when he played in the Ryder Cup in 2012 and 2014. "This type of team competition does rely on the experience of veterans. "

But in the team this year, age is not always equated with experience. Spur and Henry, 36, are older players on the team, while Thomas, 32, has participated in the fourth time since his debut in 2018. When asked about leadership roles, Thomas avoided the label of "veteran" and laughed at it. The word reminded him of older players, "and I'm not ready to accept the title," but admitted: "This is reality, I face it directly. "

"I know I'm one of the leaders of the team," Thomas said, "But in the recent games I've participated in, there is no such absolute core character on the team that everyone will count on him when they encounter questions. "

Sbau from California occasionally posts another hobby on social media - skateboarding videos. He admitted that he never fantasized about being selected when watching the Ryder Cup in his childhood: "This probably stems from a lack of self-confidence and lack of awareness of his own potential. But I was always down-to-earth. "

For most of the eight full PGA Tour seasons, he struggled until he adjusted his skills and mentality under the influence of his daughter - his daughter repeatedly played the brainwashing melody of "LetItGo" in "Frozen", which invisibly reshaped his beliefs.

"Absolutely more confident," Spoul hummed a few lines of this Disney Golden Song at the request of a reporter. "I removed a lot of pressure from trying to achieve specific goals or set limits on myself, and learned to let go as much as possible. "

After a season of highlights - in March, Rory McIlroy was forced into the extra hole in the Players Championship, the U.S. Open advanced to a 65-foot putt, and the FedEx Cup playoffs and European team Justin Rose until the sudden death match - Spoul is ready to step onto the Ryder Cup stage.

"The biggest preparation is to be sure that you have done it and you can do it again. This is the mentality I need to maintain this week," he said.

(Little Wind)