Next year’s Ryder Cup is already a hot topic on both sides of the Atlantic.
In the United States in particular, it has reached fever pitch following the Americans’ recent Presidents Cup victory.
Jim Furyk makes no secret of the fact that a place on the US team for the Gleneagles showdown next September will be uppermost on his mind every time he tees it up in the coming months.
“I’ve played on eight Ryder Cup teams, and my runners-up spot at the US PGA has me at No 5 on the points list. So I’m off to a good start,” says the 43-year-old.
“I’ve also played on seven Presidents Cup teams, and we’ve won five, tied one and lost one, whereas in my time in Ryder Cup teams, we are two and six.
“Losing in Chicago last time when we had control of the tournament was a real kick in the rear end, so I’d really like to get back and finish it right for us the next time.”
Furyk beat Nick Faldo and Sergio Garcia in his first two appearances, before halving his third singles match with next year’s European Captain, Paul McGinley.
He believes American Captain Tom Watson can be their non-playing trump card in Perthshire.
“When I started playing on Presidents and Ryder Cup teams, I was playing for my heroes like Ben Crenshaw, Curtis Strange and Tom Kite,” Furyk continues.
“Then it started coming back to me playing for my peers like Corey Pavin and Hal Sutton, guys I’d started out my career playing against.
“Now the US PGA have gone back in time and brought in Tom, who was one of the older players we all looked up to.
“Yes, there is a bigger age separation than there was in the past between the team and the Captain, but I think he brings a lot to the table.”
You can’t argue with the fact Watson arrived on the US Tour when Nicklaus, Trevino, Floyd, Stockton and Irwin, amongst others, were powerhouses in the game. In the Ryder Cup, the GB & Ireland team, as it was then, was swept aside with ease.
But the arrival of Seve Ballesteros, followed by Faldo, Lyle, Langer and Woosnam produced not only a clutch of Major winners, but dispensed with the inferiority complex that had resonated with the constant number of Americans who came over and won on this side of the pond.
The boot is somewhat on the other foot nowadays, with Luke Donald, Rory McIlroy, Martin Kaymer, Justin Rose and Lee Westwood, in particular, having written their names into US golf folklore.
But Furyk believes Watson will put the snap, crackle and pop back into his charges, citing the repeated theme about the five-time Open champion’s popularity with the home crowd.
“Tom has always played so well in Scotland, took to links golf and captured the affection of the people, so I think that is a strong positive for a start,” says Furyk. “We all look up to him, and admire what he has achieved in the game of golf.
“I think he is going to be a wonderful Captain, and it will be very exciting for those lucky enough to make the team.
“We want to win the Cup back for America and I want to be part of that.”
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