35 / 42
than eye-popping, but then
neither is Furyk’s at 10-20-4.
Furyk has a ton of Ryder Cup
experience having been a
member of nine squads, but has
only played on two winning
teams, 1999 and 2008.
Although, he did get to enjoy
the 2016 win at Hazeltine as a
vice-captain for Davis Love.
Furyk’s best Ryder Cup
moment was undoubtedly
his singles match victory
versus Sergio Garcia in 1999.
The American Captain, Ben
Crenshaw had a feeling and
his team overcame a four-
point deficit on the final
day to achieve an unlikely
victory. Furyk’s 4-3 win over
the Spaniard that day was an
important highlight.
Furyk, at the age of 46, is still
an active member of the PGA
Tour allowing him current
knowledge of the younger
players. He is still ranked inside
the Top 50 in the world and
just last year fired a brilliant 58
at the Travelers Championship,
the lowest score ever recorded
on the PGA Tour.
In addition, he carded a 59
in 2013, owns 17 career PGA
Tour wins, including a major
title at the 2003 U.S. Open.
One of the all-time most
consistent players, he also
won the $10 million FedEx
Cup in 2010.
The last time an American
team mounted a successful
defense of the Ryder Cup was
in 1993, which coincidentally
was the last time they won
outside of the U.S.
If you are looking for an early
prediction 20 months ahead
of the 2018 Ryder Cup, there
aren’t any overwhelming
nor outstanding factors,
except for perhaps one
thing. The decisive 17-11
2016 win by Team USA,
probably saved the Ryder
Cup from a loss of interest
by fans here in America, as
well as, a potential loss of
player enthusiasm. Let’s hope
that Jim Furyk can keep the
enthusiasm alive!
NWO Golf Links