“It's nothing personal” - Justin Thomas eager to reingnite ‘friendly rivalry’ with Rory McIlroy at the 2023 Ryder Cup

Justin Thomas and Rory McIlroy are friends, but they will be anything but when the Ryder Cup officially tees off this weekend. They've been rivals for a long time in this sense, as both are veterans of their respective sides.

Thomas recently spoke at length about his mindset when facing his companions on the green via RTE:

"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."

Despite their friendship and how much McIlroy has done for the American golfer, there's a "hatred" on the green during these competitions. In fact, he would do the same for anyone.

"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," he added.

No matter who's on the other side, Justin Thomas is looking forward to beating them roundly.

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Jordan Spieth looking forward to reuniting with Justin Thomas at Ryder Cup

Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas prepare for the Ryder Cup.

Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth make up one of America's most prolific duos in Ryder Cup history. They've enjoyed great success together and are looking forward to doing it once more this weekend.

Spieth in particular is expecting a tough environment in Italy. He said he's going to try and block out the distractions when he tees up with Thomas and the rest of Zach Johnson's squad.

"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," Spieth added.

He admitted that some golfers let the insults from fans fuel them unlike him.

"When I feel insulted, I don't turn it up or down. I'm just like, OK, they are drunk, move on. I've also shouted plenty of things at sporting events at people that I have no reason to do, so I also try to say 'pot and kettle' and recognise that it's all just sport and move on," Jordan Speith added.

It's going to be a raucous environment this weekend. The Italian fans and those who support Team Europe will be in the ear of the Americans.