Thomas admits he 'hates' Team Europe stars for duration of Ryder Cup

Justin Thomas admits he “hates” good friend Rory McIlroy during Ryder Cup matches and would even be desperate to beat his own wife if she was on the opposing team.

Thomas and Jordan Spieth combined to beat McIlroy and Ian Poulter in a foursomes match in Paris in 2018, with Thomas then beating McIlroy in the opening singles at Le Golf National.

That meant Thomas ended the week with four points from five matches in a losing cause and such results were a key factor in the two-time major winner receiving a wild card from captain Zach Johnson despite a poor season by his standards.

Asked how he separates the passion and emotions of the Ryder Cup from regular events, Thomas said: “I would say I would just kind of channel the things that I feel because it’s nothing personal.

“Rory is a great example. I love Rory. We get along extremely well. He’s been a role model of mine. He was super nice to me when I was first starting up. He still is. We see each other a bunch.

“Yeah, we played each other in the Ryder Cup and, yeah, we hated each other for 18 holes. Again, it’s nothing personal. It’s not a dislike as a person.

“My wife knows; if Jill teed it up in the Ryder Cup for the other team, I’m going to try to beat her pretty bad.”

Thomas and Spieth will renew their successful partnership in Rome and the latter is embracing the potential for a “rowdier, more football-like” atmosphere than he experienced in Paris.

“I try and just throw it out of my head and just stick to what I’m doing because I think blocking out the noise is the healthiest thing to do,” the three-time major winner said.

Friendly banter. #RyderCup | #GoUSA pic.twitter.com/WGK6ddjQgj

“I played a lot of matches with Patrick Reed and when he felt insulted, he turned the