Jim Furyk said Wednesday he wants a long-term blueprint for U.S. success at the Ryder Cup, and believes the 2027 American captain could fill Tiger Woods’ role next year.
Furyk, who captained the U.S. team in 2018 after losing the Ryder Cup in France, was handed the captaincy role by the PGA of America last month.
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Mr. Woods was also considered as a possible candidate, but the 15-time major champion has been absent from golf while undergoing medical treatment after being charged with drunk driving in a car accident in March.
“We haven’t talked yet,” Furyk said of Woods. “As a courtesy, and because he and his family and I probably know the path to health, I haven’t reached out yet, but I will. I definitely will.”
Furyk said Woods could play a role on the 2027 team.
“We’ll see where that role fits,” Furyk said. “In the past, he has kind of taken a backseat, maybe in an advisory role.
“I enjoyed being co-captain with him on many occasions. He brings a lot of knowledge and experience to the team room.”
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Furyk, who turned 56 on Tuesday, spoke on the eve of the PGA Championship in Aronimink, just a few miles from where he grew up.
The Americans, who have lost 11 of their past 15 cup matches, will be looking to win in Europe for the first time since 1993 when they face Luke Donald’s trophy holders at Adare Manor in Ireland next year.
“When you look at my job, it’s really about creating a culture and chemistry between them and putting them in positions where they can really be successful,” Furyk said.
“We want to go over there and win on foreign soil, which we haven’t done in a long time. It’s not going to be easy. We’re going to have to scratch and scratch, but I think we have the talent to do it.”
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“Then I look at it from a really long-term perspective. We need to create a blueprint. We need to create more continuity for our players and our future captains.”
Since making his debut as a player in 1997, Furyk has appeared in 14 consecutive Cup games as a U.S. player, assistant captain, and captain.
Furyk said some captains were not put in a strong position to succeed, pointing to Tom Watson’s loss to Gleneagles in 2014, which led to the establishment of the Ryder Cup Board of Directors to prepare the American team.
“I’m not trying to point fingers at anyone. From the PGA of America to Team USA to the captains to the players, we’re all in this together,” Furyk said.
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“But I believe we had the vision to get us to a certain point in ’14, but I don’t think we evolved along the way. The PGA of America and their captains could probably have done a better job working together to create a better team atmosphere.”
～Growth and evolution～
Furyk also sees his role as setting a roadmap to success for Adare Manor and beyond.
“I don’t think the ideas have changed much from 2014, but I think we can grow and evolve at a better pace,” Furyk said. “There are a lot of stones to be solved.”
Furyk pointed out that the European quartet has an overwhelming advantage, with a combined 13 wins and 3 losses in the past two tournaments.
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“It’s clear we’re not ready for that format,” Furyk said.
He said the U.S. players weren’t in the best position to win last year after losing against Bethpage.
“They gave us 110 percent. Did we get the result we wanted? No. Did we play our best? No,” Furyk said. “Our captains, have we put them in the best position for success? Probably not.”
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