American rookie Justin Thomas is looking forward to the challenge of further Ryder Cup appearances after his debut in his side’s losing cause in Paris.
Thomas bagged his fourth point of the week after downing Rory McIlroy on the 18th hole following the Northern Irishman’s trouble off the tee.
Thomas revealed his appreciation for his opponent’s game after the conclusion of their tussle.
‘I told Rory I’ve looked up to him for a long time and I’ve always respected the way he has treated me,’ he said.
‘It was pretty cool getting thrown out there in the first match to compete against him.’
Thomas was a rare good performer in a week in which many of the established stars failed to ignite.
‘Just all the stuff in the team room and hanging out with the guys,’ he said when asked for his highlight of the week in Paris.
‘There’s a lot of guys that I know very well and all the teammates, but I think until you spend that quality time together, until you have those dinners and everybody is sharing stories of the different Ryder Cups, it’s just I cannot play to play in more of these and I cannot wait to play in one in the States.’
Thomas edged McIlroy in a match that will be remembered for clutch par saves and missed opportunities rather than low scoring.
‘It was a heavyweight pillow fight, if you will … It was weird, we didn’t get off to great starts, I certainly didn’t, but we really both took quality swings on the back nine, and hit some unbelievable putts, just couldn’t get the ball to go in the hole.
‘It wasn’t a very fitting end for the match, I really feel badly about that, but that was a good point for us.’
