US Ryder Cup Captain Jim Furyk Vows to Make Event a Priority

Jim Furyk, the 56-year-old US Ryder Cup captain, has admitted that the United States needs to prioritize the Ryder Cup more. He believes it's essential to change the country's approach to the biennial event.

Furyk, who was handed the US captaincy for a second time, pointed towards a complete overhaul of the approach to the Ryder Cup. He suggested that he will be keen to involve Tiger Woods on his backroom team.

The PGA of America had wanted Woods to assume the captaincy for Adare, but this scenario was subject to delay. It was eventually rendered impossible by Woods' Florida car crash in March.

Jim Furyk was the captain when the US were trounced in Paris in 2018. It's clear that Furyk has many ideas on how to improve matters for his country.

That will start with an insistence on an attitude shift. There's a lingering sense that Europeans care more about the Ryder Cup than their opponents.

Jim Furyk said, 'So when I look at my job, it's really to create a culture and chemistry amongst the team. I want to put them in positions where they can be really successful.'

He added, 'Then I really look at our organisation top to bottom and having two sets of goals. First, short term, we want to be successful at Adare. We want to go over there and win on foreign soil, something we haven't done in a long time.'

Furyk also said, 'It's not going to be easy. We have to scratch and claw, but I think we have the talent to do that.'

He continued, 'Then I really look at it from a long-term perspective. We need to improve and get better. I like to say we need to create a blueprint. We need to create more continuity for our players and future captains.'

Jim Furyk added, 'We really need to start making the Ryder Cup more of a priority each and every year. We need to focus on growing and evolving into the future. So that's something that I take seriously.'

Luke Donald, Furyk's European counterpart, is delighted to have Jon Rahm on his team. A lengthy standoff between Rahm and the DP World Tour over sanctions for the Spaniard's participation in LIV Golf had threatened to remove him from the Ryder Cup equation.

The matter has now been resolved. Donald dismissed any sense that it could cause lingering issues within Europe's squad.

Donald said, 'I'm glad we could come to an agreement sooner rather than later. The longer you leave that, the more it's on me to potentially help mend some of those bridges.'

Donald also said, 'It's obviously my job to make sure everyone is aligned. I like to use the phrase, even brothers fight sometimes, but deep down, they love each other. The mission is pretty clear when we play a Ryder Cup: to win.'

He continued, 'They understand that putting those feelings and egos aside is important if you're going to be successful. I don't have any real concerns that the team room won't be unified.'

Rory McIlroy, Rahm, and Jordan Spieth are the marquee grouping over days one and two at the US PGA. Focus will be on McIlroy's movement after his preparation was disrupted by a troublesome blister on his little toe.

The US PGA Championship is taking place at Aronimink in Furyk's native Pennsylvania. Furyk hasn't spoken to Tiger Woods yet, but he wants him involved in the Ryder Cup.

Furyk added, 'Out of courtesy and for him, his family, I know maybe a road to health, I haven't reached out, but I will definitely. We'll see where that role may fall. In the past, I think he's taken a back seat. I enjoyed serving as a vice-captain with him a number of times.'

Furyk added, 'I think he brought a lot to the team room, a lot of knowledge and experience. He'd be a great asset to our team.'