You would imagine that Keegan Bradley relied on Jim Furyk more than any of his other vice-captains at the Ryder Cup, with the 55-year-old seeing it all in the event over the years.
Jim Furyk made his Ryder Cup debut nearly three decades ago, and went on to play in nine events before becoming a vice-captain in 2016. He took the top job for Le Golf National two years later, before serving as an assistant to Steve Stricker, Zach Johnson and Keegan Bradley.
Furyk was on the winning side in 1999, 2008 and 2021. Meanwhile, he has seen his fair share of losses. Furyk’s decision-making came in for a lot of criticism in Paris in 2018.
And of course, Team USA were completely outplayed over the first two days at Bethpage. Europe were able to win just one of 11 singles matches on Sunday in New York and still lift the trophy.
Jim Furyk warns what Team USA must not do after losing the 2025 Ryder Cup
Furyk was just 23 years of age the last time an American team won the Ryder Cup on European soil. Nevertheless, speaking to RJ Ochoa, he insisted that there is no reason to panic after what happened last month.
“It is raw right now, it’s just happened and just finished. There is a lot of pride in our country. Millions and millions of people were rooting for us and when it doesn’t go our way and we don’t get the job done, of course there is going to be a knee jerk reaction and folks are going to be upset,” he said.
“I think for us right now we have had a plan in place for the last 10 or 12 years. You could say it’s a positive or a negative plan but we are building on it.
“I think first and foremost, in any organisation, football, baseball, basketball or in this situation a golf team. Year in and year out Team USA are moving down a path.
“We need to get better and improve but I think every team does. Winning the Super Bowl you still need to improve, struggling to win a playoff game, you still need to improve.
“We will take a good look at it. We will sit back as a group and get together and figure out what are the next steps and how we are going to move forward.
“I don’t think we need to reinvent the wheel or break things down. We don’t need to start over. That is something we did back in 2014. But we do need to improve, keep getting better and keep moving down the track.
“Ultimately as captains, what we want to do is put players in the best situations possible to be successful.
“So we will continue to talk about that and move forward.
“It’s been a long experience and a long time for me, as far as playing in a number of those events and I have been involved with every Ryder Cup since 1997.
“It’s something that is near and dear to my heart and if I can help and be a part of moving this team forward I will do anything that I can to do it.”
How the members of the 2025 US Ryder Cup team have performed in Europe
Not only do Team USA need to bounce back from defeat at Adare Manor, but they must also deal with the fact that their last away win in the Ryder Cup came in the same month Bryson DeChambeau was born.
The only member of the 2025 team with a positive record in Europe is Justin Thomas. Meanwhile, neither DeChambeau nor Scottie Scheffler have even won a match.
| 2025 USA team member | Ryder Cup record in Europe | Points won |
| Justin Thomas | 5-3-1 | 5.5 |
| Patrick Cantlay | 2-2-0 | 2 |
| Sam Burns | 1-2-0 | 1 |
| Xander Schauffele | 1-3-0 | 1 |
| Collin Morikawa | 1-3-0 | 1 |
| Scottie Scheffler | 0-2-2 | 1 |
| Bryson DeChambeau | 0-3-0 | 0 |
Much can change in two years. But there will be plenty of fans who will be left concerned by Furyk’s comments.
The last three Ryder Cups in Europe do not suggest that they are getting any closer to victory across the Atlantic.
And there will be uproar if they sleepwalk into another heavy defeat in Ireland.
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