Harris English on making Ryder Cup team: ‘I belong’

Making his second U.S. Ryder Cup team gives Georgia native Harris English a ton of confidence entering this week’s Tour Championship in Atlanta.
With another strong finish at last weekend’s BMW Championship, English secured one of captain Keegan Bradley’s six automatic roster spots for next month’s Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black in New York.
“Making that Ryder Cup team on points was a big goal of mine. I was a captain’s pick back in 2021, so making that team on points and finishing fifth just makes me believe that I belong,” said English, who enjoyed dinner with his U.S. teammates on Tuesday night.
“I’m a big part of that team, and I love being around those guys, and we had some great conversations. We’re going to grow a lot closer the next few weeks, getting all prepared for Bethpage,” he added during Wednesday’s meeting with the media at East Lake Golf Club.
English, 36, enters the season-ending Tour Championship ranked No. 9 in the world and No. 11 in the FedEx Cup points standings.
His strong season included his fifth career PGA Tour win at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in January and runner-up showings at both the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow in May and The Open Championship at Royal Portrush last month.
English tied for 12th last weekend at the BMW Championship.
“I’m really proud of the year I’ve had, and this was goal No. 1 when I was making my goals this year is if I make it to the Tour Championship, then that means I’ve had a good year,” he said. “It’s awesome to get back, and I’m looking forward to having a chance to lift that trophy at the end of the week.”
English, who finished T18 at the Tour Championship at East Lake in 2021, is from Valdosta, Ga., and said he visited the course for the first time when he was 9 and was inspired to pursue a golfing career.
“I think I came here (in) 1998. I grew up in south Georgia, so this was probably three hours from where I grew up,” he said. “But that was kind of the first time I got around professional golfers and saw them practicing. I came out for a practice round, and I had some sort of pass that my dad got me where I could take pictures.
“Everybody couldn’t take pictures, but I remember hanging out on the putting green, chipping green, watching how guys practice, and some guys walked back — I took terrible pictures, but I was taking pictures of guys walking, and that was the first time I met Payne Stewart, and he was super, super nice and gracious to me and did some different funny poses for me. Just really got an insight to some of those guys. Coming here for the first time, it was like, that’s what I want to do when I grow up. That looks really cool.”
After this weekend, English said he will take more time to savor his season and start gearing up for the Ryder Cup.
“I feel like I have way more of an appreciation making the second Ryder Cup team, and I don’t take it lightly, and I definitely don’t take it for granted of how much hard work it takes,” he said. “It gives me some belief that I belong on that team.”