Brad Faxon says Justin Thomas needs to show Zach Johnson that he's turning his form around in the final month of qualification in order to salvage a spot in the Ryder Cup team.
Thomas is currently lying in 14th spot in the Team USA Ryder Cup standings - with only the top six qualifying automatically before Johnson selects his six wildcards.
And Thomas, who has missed the cut in three of the four Majors, is struggling for form after his career-worst Major round of 82 at Royal Liverpool.
The two-time Major champion is now playing two extra events - the 3M Open and Wyndham Championship - to get up from 75th into the top 70 and make the FedEx Cup playoffs.
And Faxon feels that only a big improvement in his form can help him get onto the team heading to Rome in September.
Asked whether he thought Thomas was going to make the Ryder Cup team as it stands, Faxon told Sirius XM Radio: "I don't think he is."
"I'm looking at the list of players that are in front of him - how do you not pick Rickie Fowler who is in 12th?
"Keegan Bradley who won the Travelers is in 10th - how do you just decide that Justin is going to leapfrog over those guys without some good play?
"It would be very hard to just put him ahead of some of these players who are in that seventh to 13th spot - you look at Max Homa, Cameron Young and Spieth they're in seven, eight and nine.
"Do you put Justin ahead of them just because he has a desire to play?"
Thomas does have a superb Ryder Cup record and Faxon does believe that Thomas could find his way into the team if he can find some form.
And that could actually work better for him if he went to Rome while riding a hot streak - but he's quickly running out of time and tournaments.
"Justin Thomas has four tournaments - he has a month to show Zach Johnson 'look I'm turning this around, my back is up against the wall, I want to make that team'.
"Think about sports that have wildcards - football, baseball, how often those trending teams play so well - because they're playing well at the end of the season."
