[Photo: Chris Condon]
Jim Furyk has been selected as captain of the United States Ryder Cup team for the 2027 matches at Adare Manor in Ireland. Doug Ferguson of the Associated Press broke the news, while a source at the PGA of America confirmed the matter to Golf Digest. The PGA of America made the announcement official on Friday afternoon, US time.
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Furyk, 55, will become the fourth American to serve as captain twice since 1979, the year continental Europe joined the competition. He previously captained the US team at the 2018 Ryder Cup at Le Golf National in France; after winning the first session 3-1, the Americans were blown out over the final four, losing 17½-10½ in one of the most lopsided defeats of the modern era.
That week produced a series of problems for the US side. Furyk’s four captain’s picks – Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau and Tony Finau – combined for a 2-10-0 record. The aftermath produced further turbulence. Patrick Reed, in an interview with The New York Times after the matches, criticised the pairings and his partnership with Woods. Reports later surfaced of a confrontation between Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson inside the team room.
However, Furyk’s selection also comes after a successful run as captain of the 2024 US Presidents Cup team, which defeated the International team 18½-11½ at Royal Montreal Golf Club. The victory extended the US winning streak in the event to 10 consecutive matches dating to 2005. Furyk’s squad overcame a foursomes sweep on the second day by winning six of the eight matches the next day.
As a player, Furyk competed in nine Ryder Cups between 1997 and 2014, compiling a 10-20-4 record. He was a member of US teams that won in 1999 at the Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, and in 2008 at Valhalla. He also appeared in seven Presidents Cups as a player, posting a 20-10-3 record. A 17-time winner on the PGA Tour, Furyk won the US Open in 2003 at Olympia Fields. He is the only player in PGA Tour history to shoot 58 in a round, a feat he accomplished at the 2016 Travelers Championship.
Commenting on Furyk’s appointment, Nathan Charnes, the PGA of America’s vice-president, said in a press release: “Jim Furyk has been an influential figure in the United States team room for nearly three decades. He is a trusted, widely respected leader and possesses a wealth of Ryder Cup experience that can only serve to strengthen our team. Competing in Ryder Cups hosted in Europe presents unique challenges and we are confident in Jim’s leadership to guide the US team over the next two years as we prepare for Ireland.”
The 2027 appointment follows Woods’s decision to remove himself from consideration for the captaincy. Woods had been in discussions with the PGA of America about the role for several months and was widely regarded as the frontrunner. However, in late March Woods was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. He announced the next week that he would step away from golf to focus on his health, and the PGA of America confirmed a day later that his withdrawal from captaincy consideration was part of that decision.
The United States has not won a Ryder Cup on European soil since 1993, when a team captained by Tom Watson defeated Europe 15-13 at The Belfry. Europe has won the past three Ryder Cups, including a 15-13 victory at Bethpage Black last September under captain Luke Donald, who is returning for a third term in 2027. The matches at Adare Manor are scheduled to begin on September 17, 2027.
