of Jim Furyk selected for PGA of America He will captain the United States at the 2027 Ryder Cup at Adare Manor in Ireland, making him the ninth person to serve as team captain multiple times.
For most U.S. fans, Furyk’s selection was not cause for celebration, as it’s hard to overlook the disastrous result he last coached the U.S. team in 2018, when they lost 17.5 to 10.5 to Europe at Le Golf National in France. It was the third lopsided loss in U.S. Ryder Cup history, and although Furyk has said he would do something different if given the chance, his choice did not cause much excitement among U.S. golf enthusiasts.
But the U.S. captain’s main job is not to excite fans at the away Ryder Cup, but to ensure the U.S. national team finally reaches its full potential on foreign soil, where it hasn’t won since 1993. The U.S. Ryder Cup team is still more than a year away, but one player known to be on the team is No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who will be perfectly aligned with Furyk as captain.
“Jim and Tabitha are both really great people. Jim is a really, really good leader. He’s very organized in the way he does things,” Scheffler said. “As for Jim, I think he has so much experience in so many team events, both playing and being captain. It seems like he’s been on that team forever. He’s had such a long career here and been so good for a long time that he played on the team and then went on to become captain and He’s such a great guy that he was also an assistant captain. I think he brings a lot of knowledge and experience to the table. He has a way of wanting to do things and he’s a really good player. He’s got a lot of experience in that role, so I think he’ll do a great job.”
Scheffler played for Furyk in the 2024 Presidents Cup and was a co-captain with Furyk in the past three Ryder Cups, but was not part of the ill-fated 2018 team. Scheffler is excited for Furyk to take on the Ryder Cup captaincy once again, but clarified that he was not consulted as part of the decision.
“So, to answer your typed question, no, I don’t have any input at all. I noticed it when you typed it in,” Scheffler said. “Do you want my opinion? If they want my opinion, I can get it. But it’s the PGA of America that runs the Ryder Cup, and it’s not the PGA Tour, it’s not the players, it’s the PGA of America, not us. So if they want my opinion, they’ll have my phone number. I had to fill out a lot of forms to play in the tournament.”
A captain’s success depends on the support of his best players. Because when the best players buy into a plan, it’s hard not to get others to buy into it. However, while Scheffler has been vocal about how much he trusts Keegan Bradley and is impressed with the work he has put in as captain heading into the 2025 Ryder Cup, that wasn’t enough to help the U.S. regain the Ryder Cup spot.
One of Furyk’s most important jobs at Adair Manor will be finding a way to turn Scheffler’s game into points for the United States — something the Americans have failed to do in the past two Ryder Cups. Having the best players in the world isn’t necessarily a blessing in disguise. Pairing them can be difficult, and European teams always come into the game with a little extra oomph.
Tiger Woods has been in that role for the U.S. team for years, but has struggled to produce good results, going 13-21-3. Now, although Scheffler has won that title, he has had similar struggles in the past two Ryder Cups with one win, six losses, and two draws.
If the U.S. is going to pull off an upset in the 2027 away Ryder Cup, they’ll need to get more from their best players. Part of that will depend on Scheffler being able to perform at his best on the Ryder Cup stage, but it will also be Furyk’s duty to find a partner who can help maximize and complement Scheffler’s talents.
Furyk will need to spend the next 16 months cracking the code for finding the right partner for Scheffler in the foursome and four-ball. He has the support of the best players, but now he has to figure out a way to turn Scheffler’s presence into a positive for America.
