Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas among US Ryder Cup captain's picks

The picks are in, and Brooks Koepka and Justin Thomas are part of the United States' defense of the Ryder Cup next month in Rome.

Koepka, Sam Burns, Rickie Fowler, Collin Morikawa, Jordan Spieth and Thomas were named as the six captain's picks on Tuesday, when Johnson finalized the 2023 US Ryder Cup team roster of 12 looking to snap a 30-year drought on foreign soil.

"A lot of time, lot of energy has gone into this process," first-time captain Zach Johnson said on Tuesday morning in Frisco, Texas. "I'm very confident in these six. That confidence comes from simply surrounding myself with great people."

Johnson's six picks join the six players who earned automatic bids -- based on the ranking points system -- and five vice captains at Marco Simone Golf & Country in Rome, Sept. 29-Oct. 1.

The US attempts to win the Ryder Cup for the first time on European soil since 1993.

Patrick Cantlay, Brian Harman, Max Homa, Xander Schauffele, Wyndham Clark and points leader Scottie Scheffler are the six players to automatically qualify for the 2023 Ryder Cup team based on ranking points. Harman, Homa and Clark are Ryder Cup rookies, as is captain's pick Burns.

"To say I'm excited about these gents would be an understatement," Johnson said, touting the experience and versatility available for power pairings in Rome.

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