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Jim Furyk will try to wrest the Ryder Cup from Luke Donald and Europe (Damien Eagers/PA Images via Getty Images)
The Ryder Cup is a year away, which was the point of the celebratory affair over the last few days in Ireland, a chance to promote an event at Adare Manor that really doesn’t need any extra hype.
The captains and their families spent a few days at the Irish venue that will host the 2027 Ryder Cup when it celebrates its 100th anniversary of the biennial matches.
The hype weekend is mostly ceremonial, but in a news conference with U.S. captain Jim Furyk and European captain Luke Donald, it is clear preparations are well under way.
For Furyk — fresh off a stint as an assistant to Brandt Snedeker at the Presidents Cup where the Americans showed plenty of flaws in victory — it was clear the challenge ahead and the changes he needs to implement in order to see a different result.
The Americans have lost the last two Ryder Cups and were outplayed badly in the team format at both Marco Simone near Rome in 2023 and Bethpage Black in 2025. The U.S. will have gone 34 years since its last victory in Europe (1993 at the Belfry) when it arrives in Ireland next year. And it will face a European team captained for the third straight time by Donald, who seemingly has made all the right moves over the last two competitions.
Furyk, who captained a losing Ryder Cup effort in France in 2018 before leading the U.S. Presidents Cup team to victory in 2024, should know all the flaws. He’s been part of nearly every team as a player or captain/assistant going back to his first as a player in 1997.
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After years of American Ryder Cup futility, especially on the road, Furyk clearly needs to bring something different to this effort.
“I’m going to ask this team to do more than any other United States team has in the past,” Furyk said.
Asked to elaborate, Furyk obliged.
“I guess, in short … to absolutely be here at Adare Manor next summer would be first and foremost. But I think a lot of it is in preparation. It’s in the lead up. It’s the veteran players taking the younger players under their wing. It’s looking at this not as a group of 12, but a Team USA — a larger group, a program that we can build for the future and leaning on some veterans to lead the way.
“We’ve got a number of really talented, young American players that are going to give them a run for a spot on this team. So it’s exciting for me as a captain and I’m looking forward to that process.”
Furyk didn’t need to be reminded of the U.S. record of late in foursomes — the alternate-shot format that has absolutely killed them in four straight international competitions, including going 2-7 two weeks ago at Medinah and 2-6 at Bethpage last year.
Overall, the numbers are even more stark — 6-28 in all team competitions over the past four years including 3-13 at the Ryder Cup.
“I know those numbers very, very well. I’ve lived them the last four,” Furyk said. “It’s not an anomaly. There’s some issues. We understand that. Not something I’m very happy with. I plan on making some changes. I would say, one, as captains, we need to do a better job, not only put the folks into good pairings in good positions but I don’t think we are preparing for those matches in a proper way.
“And I will promise you, we will be prepared. I’m going to ask this team to do more than any other United States team has in the past. We’ll be prepared. We’ll be ready to
