NEWTOWN SQUARE, PA — Jim Furyk is looking for the U.S. Ryder Cup team to “evolve.” He believes the organization needs to create a “blueprint,” and needs more “continuity” coming off consecutive losses.
“I believe we had a vision in ’14 that got us to a certain point,” Furyk said. “I just don’t think we evolved along the way. So whether it’s PGA of America, and its captains along the way, probably could have done a better job together creating that … creating a better team atmosphere.”
Furyk, 56, spoke ahead of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club, his first formal media session since being named captain for the 2027 Ryder Cup at Adare Manor in County Limerick, Ireland.
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Furyk was approached about the captaincy the week before the Masters, after Tiger Woods no longer was an option following his March 27 accident and arrest on DUI charges. He met with PGA of America CEO Terry Clark during the Masters and accepted the job.
Furyk added he has not spoken with Woods recently, but he will reach out to see if there is a role for the 15-time major champion with the team.
“I will say I enjoyed serving as a vice captain with him a number of times,” Furyk said. “I think he brought a lot to the team room, and a lot of knowledge and a lot of experience.”
Woods is believed to be in a rehabilitation program in Zurich, Switzerland.
Jim Furyk aims to fix U.S. Ryder Cup team after consecutive losses
But Furyk has bigger issues taking over leadership of a team coming off losses in Rome and on home soil at Bethpage Black in New York, the latter after falling behind by seven points heading into Sunday’s singles matches. The Americans’ rally on the final day fell short, losing 15-13.
Europe has won six of the last eight Ryder Cups with two of those in the U.S. Jupiter’s Luke Donald will captain the Europeans for the third straight competition.
“We need to create a blueprint,” Furyk said. “We need to create more continuity for our players and for our future captains. And we really need to start making the Ryder Cup more of a priority each and every year, year in and year out, and focus on growing and evolving into the future.
“Team USA is a professional sports organization. We go from the Presidents Cup to the Ryder Cup each and every year, and what I started noticing is we were maybe losing a little continuity from year to year.”
Furyk is a former Ryder Cup captain, losing 17.5-10.5 in 2018 in Paris. He has been a member of the U.S. Ryder Cup team the last 30 years, starting in 1997, playing nine times, serving as a vice-captain in four and his one stint as captain. That includes serving as one of five vice captains for Keegan Bradley in 2025.
“I think we could have put Keegan in a much better position last year, and part of my role as a vice captain was to kind of help him along with the experience that I had,” Furyk said.
Foremost in Furyk’s mind is fixing the American team’s problem in the foursomes format, where two-person teams play one ball and alternate shots until the hole is completed.
The U.S. was 3-13 combined in foursomes in 2023 and 2025. Add in a 3-6 record in the 2024 Presidents Cup, when Furyk was captain of the winning U.S. team, and that is a 6-19 record in foursomes in the last three international events.
“It’s pretty glaring that we’re not prepared for that format,” Furyk said. “Right now, that’s first and foremost on my mind. We cannot continue to dig the holes we are on Friday and Saturday.
“I think a lot of that happens behind the scenes. That happens in a number of different ways. But, first and foremost, I don’t think we’re preparing for that session very well.”
As for his team, Furyk and the PGA of America is working on a points system. The top six are automatically on the team and Furyk will have six captain’s picks. He says the decision comes down to does he take guys playing the best at the time, or those who profile well for the golf course.
“I’m prepared and willing and will make those tough decisions,” Furyk said, who added he will spend a lot of time in Ireland the next 18 months, including three scheduled trips this year.
“We’re going to put the best group,” he said, “we’re going to put the best team of 12 together, and that’s really important because there needs to be cohesiveness. The pairings need to match. We need to fit the golf course, and I need some guys in good form as well.”
Tom D’Angelo is a senior sports columnist and reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at tdangelo@pbpost.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Jim Furyk: US Ryder Cup team needs to create better atmosphere
Reporting by Tom D’Angelo, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
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