The PGA of America Ryder Cup Committee is gaining some fresh faces, with major champions Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas added to the six-person panel ahead of the 2023 Ryder Cup. Rounding out the latest installment of the Committee is 2020 U.S. Ryder Cup Captain Steve Stricker, who led the Americans to a record 19-9 victory at Whistling Straits in September.
The Committee was initially formed ahead of the 2016 Ryder Cup and is tasked with, among other things, identifying future captains and vice captains and finalizing the point structure and qualifying system to determine which 12 Americans will tee it up in Italy next fall. Stricker, Spieth and Thomas join a group that also includes PGA of America president Jim Richerson, vice president John Lindert and CEO Seth Waugh.
"I have a ton of respect for Zach as both a player and a leader," Spieth said. "He knows the players, he’s a two-time Major Champion, and he’s won the Ryder Cup as a player and Vice Captain. I’m really excited to be on the PGA Ryder Cup Committee and play a larger role in how we build the U.S. Team moving forward."
Spieth has been a member of each of the last four U.S. Ryder Cup Teams, dating back to a memorable debut in 2014 at Gleneagles, and has compiled an 8-7-3 individual record. Thomas made his Ryder Cup debut in 2018 outside Paris, where he played all five matches as a rookie, and boasts a 6-2-1 individual record. The two have gone 4-2-0 when teaming together in Ryder Cup competition since 2018.
“I’m going to do whatever it takes to be a part of the team that heads to Italy to make sure we keep the Ryder Cup,” Thomas said. “I’m also honored to serve on the PGA Ryder Cup Committee and help continue the positive momentum we’ve built since the Committee was created.”
The third player addition to the Committee is Stricker, who went 3-7-1 in three Ryder Cup appearances as a player (2008, 2010, 2012). He also served as a vice captain three times (2014, 2016, 2018) before leading the Americans to a dominant victory in his native Wisconsin last year. Newly-announced Captain Zach Johnson has since tapped Stricker to stand by his side in 2023 as a vice captain for the U.S. Team in Italy.
The Ryder Cup will be played Sept. 25-Oct. 1, 2023, at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome, Italy.
