Where Jim Furyk Got It Wrong

Here we analyse a few things Furyk may wish he did differently...

Where Jim Furyk Got It Wrong

As with every Ryder Cup, the Captains' each and every move are scrutinised, more so with the losing Captain.

On this occasion, Jim Furyk was the unfortunate man to be on the losing side after Thomas Bjorn's Europeans outplayed them for three days.

Did Furyk get it wrong? Or were his players just simply not good enough?

Here we take a look at a few things he may not have got exactly spot on...

Wildcards

Furyk's wildcard picks simply did not deliver in the same way Thomas Bjorn's did.

Tiger Woods lost all four matches, Phil Mickelson played just two games and lost them both and Bryson DeChambeau lost both of his doubles games.

Tony Finau was the most successful of the wildcards with two points won.

The golf course at Le Golf National required accurate driving and Mickelson and Woods simply aren't players that fit the bill.

Instead, he chose them and experience over players like Brandt Snedeker, Matt Kuchar, Zach Johnson, Xander Schauffele, Kevin Kisner and Kyle Stanley.

Mickelson, Woods and DeChambeau found themselves all over the golf course whilst plenty of great ball strikers and straight hitters were left on the sidelines.

Perhaps Furyk didn't expect the golf course to be so punishing off of the fairway.

Perhaps that was another of his mistakes.

Woods also looked tired all week mentally and physically. After his win at East Lake last time out, he looked drained and perhaps the Ryder Cup was one week too many.

Mickelson, surely a huge influence in the team room, sat out all day on Saturday and would have been better use as a vice captain.

He and Woods were 0 for 6 for the week whilst Thomas Bjorn's four wildcards won 3.5 points alone on Sunday.

We're not saying Furyk picked the wrong men, but they really didn't deliver for him.

Pairings

Furyk split up Reed and Spieth, the USA's stalwarts last time out, and instead Reed lost both of his matches with Tiger.

Spieth did manage to find success this week with Justin Thomas - they accounted for half of the USA's six points over the first two days.

However, Reed was the USA's best player two years ago and Furyk was unable to get anything from him in the doubles sessions.

One very strange choice from the Captain was to put Mickelson out in the foursomes with Bryson DeChambeau who, unsurprisingly, lost 5&4 to Alex Noren and Sergio Garcia and were six down after eight.

Le Golf National was lined with thick rough and Lefty has never been known as the straightest of hitters.

Furyk's decision to play him in one one doubles session and for that to be foursomes was utterly bizarre.

It certainly hasn't been the best of Ryder Cups for the USA, who still haven't won outside of America since 1993.

Furyk, and the Ryder Cup committee, will surely look back at what needs to be changed for next time.

Furyk told Sky Sports in the immediate aftermath, " I think I'll take a little time to digest.

"It's still a little fresh for us at the moment. I will regroup and definitely go through some things in my head and then with the PGA of America and the Ryder Cup Committee.

"I'm really proud, I love these 12 guys, it was an honour to serve as their Captain.

"At the end of the day you've got to tip your cap, they outplayed us.

"Thomas was a better Captain this week, we got outplayed."

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