Phase II of the U.S. Ryder Cup “task force’’ made its latest move on Wednesday when Jim Furyk was named the 2018 captain.
Furyk being named captain was surprising to no one in golf, because his appointment follows the goal for continuity and cohesion the task force put into place when Phil Mickelson formed it after the disappointing 2014 Ryder Cup loss by the Americans at Gleneagles in Scotland.
Furyk was a vice captain for Davis Love III on the 2016 U.S. Ryder Cup team that ended the Europeans’ dominance of the biennial event with a victory at Hazeltine in Chaska, Minn. Furyk’s initial act once officially appointed was to name Love as his first vice captain.
“[Love is] going to be a very tough act to follow,” Furyk said Wednesday. “He put a system in place. He put the players behind it. It won’t make my task easier, but it makes it easier knowing there is a system in place. To have him by my side — his advice, his experience, two captaincies and one vice captaincy — is going to be priceless for me.”
The U.S. has lost eight of the past 11 Ryder Cups, so Furyk will be tasked come September 2018 at Le Golf National in Guyancourt, France, to lead the Americans to a second consecutive win and first on foreign soil since 1993.
Furyk, who will be 48 when the 2018 matches are played, is no stranger to the Ryder Cup, having played in nine and compiling a 10-20-4 record.
His nine consecutive Ryder Cups are the second-most U.S. appearances ever after Mickelson.
He joked of his poor Ryder Cup playing record, saying, “You can learn from your mistakes, and if you look at my record, I’ve learned a lot.”
Furyk, while recovering from wrist surgery, played in only 16 tournaments last year, but surely will make it a goal to be a playing captain in 2018. If he accomplishes that, he will become the first American to do it since Arnold Palmer in 1963.
He’s ranked No. 37 in the world and set a PGA Tour record in August with a 58 in the final round of the Travelers Championship. Furyk shot 59 at the BMW Championship three years earlier.
“I don’t want to say ‘no,’ ’’ Furyk said of the prospect of serving as a playing captain. “My main goal is being the best captain I can, getting the best 12 players and providing an atmosphere to let them succeed.”
The appointment was emotional for Furyk, who spoke of his father, Mike, a PGA professional from Western Pennsylvania who has served as Furyk’s only swing coach.
“It’s no secret it’s been my favorite event for my entire career,” said Furyk, the 28th U.S. captain since the Ryder Cup began in 1927. “I’ve said many times that the Ryder Cup is part of my DNA, so this opportunity was a privilege and honor to accept. This is a special moment for my family.
“I am anxious to get started and recapture the momentum we enjoyed at Hazeltine, both in the team room and on the golf course. It’s been a long time since we’ve won in Europe and I am looking forward to the challenge.”
The committee that chose Furyk, who has won 17 times on the PGA Tour, including the 2003 U.S. Open, was comprised of Tiger Woods, Mickelson and Love and some PGA of America members. Furyk was voted in unanimously last month.
Furyk’s European counterpart is Thomas Bjorn, who also has served as a vice captain. Furyk said he and Bjorn walked one match together at Hazeltine and talked about the future, including the prospect of both being captains.
Now, thanks to the task force and its commitment to the continuity the Europeans always have adhered to, the two will captain against each other.
“We had a goal for the next five to 10 Ryder Cups,’’ Furyk said. “I’ve said all along that if we won [in 2016] that’s great, but let’s not raise the flag and say, ‘This is the greatest thing ever.’ And if we lose let’s not say, ‘Oh, [expletive], this doesn’t work.’ It’s a long-term plan.’’