What Is Jim Furyk's Ryder Cup Record As A Player And A Captain?

Jim Furyk will captain the USA Ryder Cup team for the second time, as the Americans traverse the Atlantic for the 2027 edition at Adare Manor.

The 55-year-old last took charge in 2018 at Le Golf National in Paris, where the USA slumped to a 17.5-10.5 defeat on the road.

As a player, Furyk competed in a staggering nine Ryder Cups, stretching from 1997 in Valderrama to Gleneagles in 2014.

For eight of those appearances, he qualified automatically on points, exemplifying his prolonged spell as one of the top Americans in the game, even if in the periphery of Tiger Woods' prime.

However, Furyk was on just two winning sides, Brookline in 1999 and Valhalla in 2008, amassing 12 points in the process.

Jim Furyk's Playing Record At The Ryder Cup

On only one occasion did Furyk boast a winning record at a Ryder Cup, that being Valhalla, where he finished 2-1-1 in the USA's victory.

Furyk had 15 different partners across his Ryder Cup career in foursomes and fourball. The one he played with the most was Tiger Woods, whom he was paired up with on four occasions, returning a 2-2 record.

In terms of opponents, Sergio Garcia was Furyk's most common enemy during Ryder Cups, with the two facing off ten times. Furyk got the better of Garcia in their first matchup in Sunday singles when the latter was 19-years-old at Brookline in 1999.

However, in their next nine matches, the Spaniard won eight of them, twice in singles. In fairness, Garcia does have the most total career points on the European side with 28.5 in ten appearances.

The 2003 US Open winner's most favourable competitor was Padraig Harrington, whom he beat four times in five matches, all of which were in the team element of the contest.

For all his longevity, Furyk's overall record is lacklustre amid a torrid spell for the USA teams in the early 2000s.

2018 Ryder Cup Captaincy At Le Golf National

The USA side went into 2018 off the back of a comprehensive victory on home soil at Hazeltine in 2016. Their team was stacked with a perfect amalgamation of youth, experience and power, ready to take on the Europeans captained by Thomas Bjorn.

Furyk had selected Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods and Tony Finau with his Captain's picks. The eight who qualified on points were: Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, Patrick Reed, Bubba Watson, Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler and Webb Simpson.

The affair got off to a dream start from an American perspective, with Furyk's side winning three of the four morning fourball matches to take a three-to-one lead.

However, Europe completed their first clean sweep in Ryder Cup history in the afternoon's foursomes, meaning the home side led five-three after the first day.

Saturday did not go much better for Team USA, with Europe answering back in the fourball by taking the session three to one. And with a split session in the afternoon foursomes, Bjorn's men had a ten-to-six advantage going into Sunday singles.

In classic Ryder Cup fashion, it got interesting for a period on Sunday, with the USA clinching three and a half points from the first five matches to get within one. However, the chances of a miracle comeback were short-lived, as Europe won the next four matches to regain the Ryder Cup, the final score being 17.5-10.5.

Despite the undisputable talent within the team, the US were undone by the course setup at Le Golf National, which required meticulous accuracy off the tee, with thick rough or water encroaching the narrow fairways.

The home advantage is always a factor at the Ryder Cup, which doesn't make Furyk's second attempt at captaincy any easier. But will the veteran learn from his past mistakes and ensure his team is up for the challenge?

After being part of every single US Ryder Cup team for the last 30 years as a player, Vice-captain and Captain, there is ostensibly no one more experienced than Jim Furyk to lead his nation into battle at Adare Manor.

He will be keen to atone for his paltry playing record, as well as the 2018 debacle in Paris. But with the last USA win on European soil coming back in 1993, Furyk will have his work cut out for him if he is to pioneer an end to that torrid streak in Ireland next year.