Second Thoughts

Thomas not normal rookie at Ryder Cup

Justin Thomas is one of three Americans who will make his Ryder Cup debut, even though he doesn't seem like a rookie.

He already has a major. He won the FedEx Cup last year. He has reached No. 1 in the world.

And this won't be his first Ryder Cup, anyway.

"I was with my dad when he was working for the PGA," Thomas said of the 2008 matches at Valhalla, when he was 15. "I played in the Junior Ryder Cup when it was at Celtic Manor. So I've been to three of them. I know how crazy it is."

He also knows it doesn't really count until he gets to Le Golf National outside Paris at the end of the month.

Thomas is the latest American who made his professional team debut in the Presidents Cup, and now gets to experience playing a Ryder Cup that contains more energy, more volume, more nerves, more everything.

And away from home, no less.

"It's going to be a lot different," Thomas said. "Not even close."

He plans to rely on his U.S. teammates, especially those who have gone through the change from starting in the Presidents Cup and going to the Ryder Cup the next year. One of those teammates he knows quite well. Jordan Spieth made his team debut in the 2013 Presidents Cup, and then went to Gleneagles the next year.

"It helped a little bit, but not much," Spieth said. "That first tee-shot feel at the Ryder Cup for an away game made the Presidents Cup look like nothing else. And maybe it was the away game."

Steve Stricker, Hunter Mahan, Webb Simpson and Fred Funk also had nothing but Presidents Cup experience before their first matches against Europe.

Thomas is the most accomplished of that lot, and Spieth said he will have another element in his favor.

"This team and the guys around us are going to be a different feel from right this very minute until we hit that first tee shot," Spieth said. "I felt like I was in a tryout every practice round [in 2014]. It didn't feel like there was a camaraderie like there is now."

Harsh words

The Baltimore Orioles were 60 games out of first place in the American League East entering Tuesday, they have the worst record in baseball, they were the first team to be eliminated from playoff contention and on Monday they tied a franchise record with their 107th loss of the season.

It can't be easy playing for a team that loses so much and with such ease. Orioles catcher Caleb Joseph confirmed that Monday when he spoke to Dan Connolly of The Athletic. Joseph didn't mince words: He had harsh ones not just for his team but also for the front office that put it together.

"I'll tell you this. I've never seen sports teams survive seasons like this without people losing jobs, period. Players, you name it," Joseph said. "It's a privilege to be here, but you don't lose a record number of games and not expect some retribution. Everybody. Every single locker in here should be thinking, 'You know, I should be fired because I sucked. Period.' "

And because the team is so bad, he doesn't blame fans for not showing up.

"I don't blame [the fans] at all. I've been through really bad seasons in professional sports as a fan in Nashville. It's not motivating. Of course, I don't blame them at all [for not attending games]. We suck."

Sports quiz

Who holds the American League record as the oldest player to hit a home run?

Sports answer

Carlton Fisk, who was 45 years and 102 days old when he hit the last of his 376 home runs on April 7, 1993.

photo

AP/CHRIS SZAGOLA

Justin Thomas may be playing in his first Ryder Cup, but he’s not a typical rookie in the competition, having already won a major and a FedEx Cup to go along with his No. 1 ranking in the world.

Sports on 09/19/2018

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