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Jim Furyk on Patrick Reed’s comments, rumored Johnson-Koepka fight

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Speaking today with Golf Channel’s Tim Rosaforte, 2018 U.S. Team Ryder Cup Captain, Jim Furyk broke his silence on some of the rumors surrounding the fractious atmosphere among some of the U.S. players at Le Golf National.

Last week, Patrick Reed suggested that Jordan Spieth was the reason behind the breakup of their successful partnership on the course, while Reed’s wife and mother-in-law have both since criticized the pairings selected by Furyk last week in Paris. Today, however, Furyk claimed that Reed had been in the know regarding his pairing with Woods for “weeks in advance.” Reed, for his part, had said he was “blindsided” by the split.

“When I started looking at who (Tiger) would pair well with, I kept coming back to Patrick Reed. There was always the idea that we could go Tiger and JT (Justin Thomas), and Patrick and Jordan, but ultimately they knew going into the week, weeks in advance, they knew they would start the Ryder Cup with Patrick and Tiger being partners.”

Furyk also responded to claims over the fallout between good friends Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka following the heavy defeat suffered by the United States in Paris. Unlike others, Furyk didn’t refute that there had indeed been an altercation, but the 48-year-old insists that any incident that did occur was brief and insignificant.

“Whatever altercation started, or what happened, it was very brief. It was very short. Neither one of them really took anything out of it. They’re like brothers. Brothers may argue, brothers get into it. But they’re as close as they’ve ever been, and it really had no effect on either one of them.”

Reflecting on his team’s defeat in Paris, Furyk said that it has been “tough” for the last week and that the loss will “always bother me.” Despite the heavy defeat and the messy aftermath, the American re-iterated his belief in the 12 players that went to Paris with him, stating:

“I’d take those 12 players into the fire any day, on any course. And I still would. Last week didn’t work out the way we wanted, but I love those guys, and I love what we had together in the team room. And I’d do it all over again.”

What do you make of Jim Furyk’s comments?

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Gianni is the Managing Editor at GolfWRX. He can be contacted at [email protected].

20 Comments

20 Comments

  1. Gimmie Hendrix

    Oct 9, 2018 at 7:20 am

    Since when is “loving those guys” relevant to coaching victory. Americanism. You guys won’t touch that cup for 50 years, just watch.

  2. Christopher Hansen

    Oct 8, 2018 at 8:18 pm

    If the US team only knows what it’s like to compete as individuals, it’s not surprising that they couldn’t create any synergy. Learning how to set your partner up as a ‘enabler’ role is a different mindset – and that means knowing what your partners need to succeed. If they all play their own game, that’s hardly a compromise or a recipe for success. Also, none of these guys are really good links style players, and most don’t have an abundance of playing overseas where conditions can be drastically different. Showing up 1 week in advance on an international travel commitment, and following a major and some intense FedEx cup tournaments is hardly what I’d call preparing for a major team event.

    Furyk is a straight shooter, and wants to win. He is one of the good guys.

    Granted Furyk doesn’t appear to have a huge pile of experience in overseas play or team-based play @ the elite Pro level, but that’s not what’s holding things back.

    What does EU do that USA doesn’t do? Maybe start there.

    I like Tiger as the Captain for his overseas playing experience, and Furyk as a team member.

    Drop Phil, he was a poor choice, and his ability to be successful in this format is questionable.

    Reed can partner up with whoever they want, but until these players figure out how to play to their partner’s strengths and weaknesses, it’s not going to result in a win.

    Lastly, US Tour players seem to have gotten used to plush courses with easier setups – presumably to boost low scores and generate tv ‘shock and awe’. No one who is serious about golf as a sport wants to see -22 on the leaderboard (and takes that seriously as the ultimate test of the field). We want to see the course eat up the players and really challenge them – closer to Par is expected, with some minor aggregates for 4 days of play. PGA could set these courses up a lot harder, if they chose to. maybe time to stop coddling the kids and cut the apron strings?

  3. John

    Oct 8, 2018 at 3:49 pm

    At least it’s good to know that Reed doesn’t only use his mouth for eating doughnuts.

  4. DaveyD

    Oct 8, 2018 at 3:33 pm

    You never lose your way if you stick to the high road.

  5. Pru

    Oct 8, 2018 at 1:56 pm

    He should be POTUS at some point. He speaks well, and is a great liar.

  6. Jim

    Oct 8, 2018 at 1:28 pm

    Not that it’s very important, but it would be interesting to hear the real truth about this Reed-Spieth thing. Reed keeps throwing Spieth under the bus, and “calling him out” for some unknown reason. At the same time, we read that Reed had been begging to play with Tiger. Though, after Reed’s ruling comment about Spieth a few months ago, I can see why Spieth might not have wanted to partner with him.

  7. Rusty Carr

    Oct 8, 2018 at 12:42 pm

    To say you would not change a thing after the results you achieved cements the opinion that you do not deserve another chance to captain the team. The captain must shoulder the blame when the team results don’t come come close to the team potential. This petty bickering is no way to win and sets a bad example for future teams.

  8. Tom

    Oct 8, 2018 at 12:28 pm

    Is that kiwi polish you using now?. Nice shine on the head!

  9. Geoffrey Holland

    Oct 8, 2018 at 11:41 am

    Picking a guy with a 10-20-4 record to captain a Ryder Cup team was suicidal. Simply a bad decision no matter how good of a guy he is.

    • Jamie

      Oct 8, 2018 at 3:06 pm

      What’s worse is that the Americans have been getting blasted at the RC for so long that one must ask if any of the 45+ YO veterans have a decent record.

    • Jack Nash

      Oct 8, 2018 at 3:40 pm

      So was adding Woods and Mickelson. Combined 43 losses.

  10. David Ross

    Oct 8, 2018 at 11:41 am

    I heard Koepka jumped over the fence and beat up Johnson’s caddy… wait… wrong sport

  11. dixiedoc

    Oct 8, 2018 at 11:38 am

    We need to pick the players to win the Cup not players to enhance the viewership (Phil and Tiger). The players should also realize the old cliche that there is no I in team

  12. Paul Vicaru

    Oct 8, 2018 at 11:18 am

    Jimmy has always been a straight shooter. You may not always agree with his message but the man has no hidden agenda. Just sorry it didn’t work out for him this year. He truly is one of the good guys

    • Dan Konold

      Oct 8, 2018 at 12:22 pm

      Amen.

    • geohogan

      Dec 21, 2018 at 5:04 pm

      Jim has character. Something Reed knows nothing about.

      Usa needs team players. Reed regardless of his standings should never be on another Ryder Cup, along with Phil and Tiger. Time for new blood.

      Brooks, “juice” Koepka should fly with Ernie “now lets fight” Els.
      Pay for view, anyone?

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Morning 9: Scheffler starts strong | Nelly stays in touch | Houston Open photos

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By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Friday morning, golf fans, as day two of the Houston Open gets underway.

1. Scheffler starts strong in Houston

AP report…” Scottie Scheffler had his 28th consecutive round under par to start the year, a 5-under 65 on Thursday that left him 1 shot behind Taylor Moore and Wilson Furr in the Houston Open.”

  • “Scheffler also extended his streak to 49 holes without a bogey dating to the third round of the Players Championship two weeks ago, where he became the first back-to-back winner in the 50 years of the PGA Tour’s flagship event.”
  • “The streak that matters is his bid for a third straight PGA Tour victory, a feat last accomplished seven years ago by Dustin Johnson.”
  • “That also was the last thing on Scheffler’s mind at Memorial Park, his final tournament before he heads to the Masters as a strong favorite.”
  • “I don’t ever really put expectations on myself,” Scheffler said. “I try to be committed to my shots. I try to stay patient out there. At the beginning of the week, I’m not looking forward toward Sunday. I’m just focused on today.”
Full piece.

2. Nelly stays in touch at Ford Championship

AP report…” Nelly Korda fought through brutal conditions to win in Southern California last week.”

  • “A solid opening round on a soft course in perfect weather has the world’s No. 1 player in position to win her third straight start.”
  • “Korda shot a 6-under 66 in the first round of the Ford Championship on Thursday, leaving her three shots back in a bid to become the first LPGA Tour player to win three straight starts in eight years.”
  • “Completely different today compared to last weekend,” Korda said. “The greens are quite soft. I know Arizona has been getting a good bit of rain throughout the winter. I knew there would be low scores out there, so needed to be aggressive.”
Full piece.

3. Why Malnati thinks his win resonated

Via Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…“Maybe they’re so good at winning that they just – it’s normal for them, and they’re right back in their normal routine the next day,” Malnati said Wednesday in Houston, where he’s in the field for the Texas Children’s Houston Open. “It certainly isn’t the case for me yet. So, there was definitely the thought on Sunday night and Monday morning like, oh, my goodness, I could use a week to just wrap my head around this like new reality that I have.”

  • “Malnati added: “I would not say I’m entirely focused yet on playing and working again, I still am enjoying it a little bit, but starting to get back into that mode of like wanting to do my job and keep building from here.”
Full piece.

4. Martin Trainer’s interesting putter backstory

Trainer talking to our Andrew Tursky…

  • You have the Internet going crazy over your bag setup, and your putter. Where’d you pick the Bobby Grace-Greg Chalmers putter up? How long have you had it?
  • MT: This was from when Bobby Grace came to my course in California: Cal Club. And for whatever reason, they just started having them in the shop. So then I took my buddy’s, started using it, and made, like, a million putts in a row, which is how every putter story begins, I guess.
  • And then, I bought a couple of my own, used it for years, got to the Tour with it, won on Tour with it (the 2019 Puerto Rico Open). Then, about a year later, started using another putter, did that for a couple years, but now it’s back in the bag.
  • When did it come back in the bag?
  • MT: December of this past year. So a few months ago.
  • What year would you say was the first time you threw that in the bag, or, like, when you bought it?
  • MT: God…Probably, 2016, maybe? 2018?
  • Do you remember how much you paid for it?
  • MT: I don’t know, actually. Maybe $100-150 bucks or something. I think that’s the only golf club I’ve bought between high school and now. Well, two, since I bought two of them.
Full piece.

5. Finau on driver shaft change

Our Brian Knudson…”Tony Finau has always been known as one of the longest players on the PGA Tour, but he has recently been working on adding a little more distance. Last year, Finau averaged 118.3 mph club head speed and 178.08 mph ball speed, all while playing a Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 70 TX driver shaft. This year, he has increased his club head speed to 123.93 mph and his ball speed to 183.32 mph.”

  • “However, Finau’s overall distance has decreased by two yards in that time. From a fitting perspective, something was amiss. We asked Tony about the shaft change at the Texas Children’s Hospital Open.”
  • “[I’m seeing] better numbers with the spin. My driver’s been a little high spin for me over the last month or so, and so I just figured it was time to probably check out the equipment,” Finau said. “And it definitely showed me that I was using a shaft that’s maybe a little too tip-stiff for me, the way I load the club now. [I’m seeing] better numbers with the spin.”
Full piece.

6. A 71 with nine birdies

7. Photos from the Houston Open

  • Check out all of our photos from this week’s event!
Full piece.
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Morning 9: Wyndham Clark on back injury | DiMarco’s bold Champions Tour take | Houston Open photos

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By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Thursday morning, golf fans, as day one of the Houston Open gets underway.

1. Wyndham Clark hurts back…still hopes to play

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach…”Reigning U.S. Open winner Wyndham Clark injured his back while working out at home Monday, but he hopes to play in this week’s Texas Children’s Houston Open, which starts Thursday at Memorial Park Golf Course.”

  • “Clark, the fourth-ranked golfer in the world, said he was lifting weights and “got caught in an awkward spot doing a lift and [his] back went.”
  • “It’s not something that happens regularly, but it happened and you live and you learn,” Clark said. “I’m trending in the right direction. I’m hitting it or feeling stronger and more mobile every day. I’m going to give it my best effort tomorrow and hopefully I can play and compete. If not, I’ve got to get ready for tournaments to come after this.”
Full piece.

2. DiMarco’s bold Champions Tour take

Our Matt Vincenzi…”While speaking on the Subpar podcast, former PGA Tour winner and current PGA Tour Champions player Chris DiMarco said he hopes LIV buys the Champions Tour.”

  • “We’re kind of hoping that LIV buys the Champions Tour,” he said.
  • “Let’s play for a little real money out here. I mean this is kind of a joke when we’re getting $2 million. There were like seven guys last week from TPC (Sawgrass, at the $25 million PLAYERS Championship) that made more money than our purses.”
Full piece.

3. Charley Hull’s course management problem?

Our Matt Vincenzi…”Charley Hull came just short of her third LPGA Tour victory over the weekend at the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship when she played her last two holes at 3 over to slip all the way to 10th on the leaderboard.”

  • “After the round, Hull was blasted by Sky Sports commentator and former LPGA Tour player Trish Johnson for her lack of golf course management.”
  • “While speaking on the Sky Sports Golf podcast, Johnson spoke harshly of Hull.”
  • “I’m probably her harshest critic, because I know how good she is. She doesn’t win anywhere near enough for her talent, and she doesn’t get involved enough, in all honestly.
  • “The thing with Charley is that you’re never going to change her. I read something the other day that said how much she loves the game and it’s her love of the game [that costs her]. She’s never going to change and she’s just going to go for every pin.
  • “In theory that’s great, but it won’t win you golf tournaments, it just won’t because she’s not that much better than anybody else.
Full piece.

4. Sahith’s interesting idea

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”Which brings Theegala to his big idea: “There’s got to be something, like a fan challenge or – I think it would be awesome to see a scratch handicap go out and play like the Monday after a tournament, keep the same conditions and see what they would shoot just to put it into perspective how hard a PGA Tour golf course is.”

  • “Theegala loves the thought so much that he’d even come out and watch.”
  • “Shoot, I’d commentate on it,” Theegala added before continuing, “I have a pet peeve, sometimes when I watch golf on TV, a great example is hole 8 at Valspar last week. It’s a 230-yard par 3, the green’s 12 yards wide and someone will hit the middle of the green and, you know, they’ll be like, ‘Oh, really smart shot there.’ I’m like, ‘Well, no, he’s absolutely laced this 4-iron in the middle of the green, that’s right where he’s looking and to hit a 4-iron that straight is really, really hard.’ … Even like chipping, a lot of the stuff just looks flat on TV, but then when you get over the chip, like, oh, great, I have to land it over a mound on a downslope down grain?”
Full piece.

5. Top am Rachel Heck not going pro

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”As Rachel Heck nears the end of her college golf career, she has decided that the LPGA isn’t for her.’

  • “Heck, the 22-year-old Stanford senior who won an NCAA individual title as a freshman and has climbed as high as second in the world amateur rankings, penned a first-person essay for No Laying Up in which she explained her reasoning for remaining amateur after graduation this summer and starting an internship not in professional golf but rather private equity. Heck, a political science major, also will be pinned as a lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force.”

Read her piece on No Laying Up: https://nolayingup.com/blog/why-im-remaining-an-amateur

Full piece.

6. DJ’s new LIV signing

Golf Monthly’s Elliott Heath…”Dustin Johnson‘s LIV Golf team 4Aces GC has announced former TravisMathew CEO Chris Rosaasen as the side’s new General Manager.”

  • “Rosaasen, who is a long-time friend of Johnson, is also the founder of the team’s apparel sponsor Extracurricular and has been CEO of the Omniverse Group for the past four years.
  • “He joins with more than 20 years of “brand-building, marketing, and business leadership” according to LIV Golf, which says his “record of innovation in the golf industry will strengthen and accelerate the growth of the 4Aces GC brand.”
Full piece.

7. Photos from the Houston Open

  • Check out all of our photos from this week’s event!
Full piece.
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Four books for a springtime review

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One thing that never changes over time: snowy evenings give purpose to reading (is it the other way around?) It has been a snowy 2024 in western New York, and I’ve had ample time to tuck into an easy chair with a blanket, coffee, and a book. You’re in luck, because despite the title of this piece, I’ll share five books and their worth with you.

There is great breadth of subject matter from one to five. Golf is as complicated as life, which means that the cover of the book isn’t worth judging. The contents begin the tale, but there is so much more to each topic presented within. If you’re like me, your library grows each year. Despite the value of the virtual, the paper-printed word connects us to the past of golf and humanity. Here’s hoping that you’ll add one or more of these titles to your collection.

        

Rainmaker

Hughes Norton interviewed with Mark McCormack for 20 minutes (30 if you count the missed exit at Logan International) while driving the founder of IMG from Harvard to the airport. The lesson of taking advantage of each moment, of every dollar, because you might not get another opportunity, is the most valuable one that life offers. I say to you, be certain to read this book, because another opportunity to bend the ear of Hughes Norton may not come our way.

Hughes Norton was with Tiger Woods for waaayyy fewer years than you might guess, but they were the critical ones. Be warned: not all of the revelations in this tome are for the faint of heart. Some, in fact, will break your heart. Golf was a sleepy hamlet in the 1990s, until the 16-lane interstate called Eldrick “Tiger” Woods came into town. Everything changed, which meant that everything would change again and again, into eternity. Once the ball starts rolling, it’s impossible to stop.

My favorite aspect of this book is its candor. Hughes Norton is well into his time on Planet Earth. He has no reason to hold back, and he doesn’t. My least favorite aspect is that George Peper got the call to co-author the book (and I didn’t.) Seriously, there is no LFA for me, so this is the best that I could do.

Decision: Buy It!

The Golf Courses of Seth Raynor

Michael Wolf, James Sitar, and Jon Cavalier, in abject partnership, collaborated to produce a handsome volume on the work of gone-too-soon, engineer-turned-golf course architect. Seth Raynor was pulled into the game by Charles Blair MacDonald, the crusty godfather of American golf. Raynor played little golf across the 51 years of his life. His reason? He did not wish to corrupt his designs with the demands and failings of his own game.

Jon Cavalier began his photography career as a contributor to the Golf Club Atlas discussion group. I met him there in a virtual way (we still have yet to shake hands) and have exchanged numerous emails over the years. Despite the demands of his day job, Cavalier has blossomed into the most traveled and prolific course photographer alive today. His photography, both hand-held and drone, makes the pages pop. Michael Wolf invited me and two friends to play his home course, despite having never met any of us in person. His words, melded to those of James Sitar, are the glue that connect Cavalier’s photos.

My favorite aspect of the books is the access it gives to the private-club world of Raynor. Fewer than five of his courses are resort or public access, and knowing people on the inside is not available to all. My suggestion? Write a letter/email and see if a club will let you play. Can’t hurt to try! My one complaint about the book is its horizontal nature. Golf is wide, but I like a little vertical in my photos. It’s not much of a complaint, given the glorious contents within the covers.

Decision: Buy It!!

Big Green Book from The Golfer’s Journal

Beginning with its (over)size, and continuing through the entire contents, there is no descriptor that defines the genre of the Big Green Book. It is photography, essay, layout, poetry, graphics, and stream of consciousness. It harnesses the creative power of a lengthy masthead of today’s finest golf contributors. Quotes from Harvey Penick, verse from Billy Collins, and prose from John Updike partner with images pure and altered, to immerse you in the diverse golf spaces that define this planet.

One of my favorite aspects is the spaces between the words and photos. Have your friends and others write a few notes to you in those blank areas, to personalize your volume even more. One aspect that needs improvement: the lack of female voices. I suspect that will be remedied in future volumes.

Decision: Buy It!!!

Troublemaker and The Unplayable Lie

Books that allege discrimination and mistreatment check two boxes: potentially-salacious reads and debate over whose perspective is accurate. In the end, the presentation of salacious revelation rarely meets the expectation, and the debate over fault is seldom resolved. Lisa Cornwell spent years as a competitive junior and college golfer, before joining The Golf Channel as a reporter and program host.

Despite the dream assignments, there were clouds that covered the sun. Cornwell documents episodes of favoritism and descrimination against her, prior to her departure from The Golf Channel in 2021. Her work echoes the production of the late Marcia Chambers, who wrote for Golf Digest in the 1980s and 1990s. Chambers took issue with many of the potential and real legal issues surrounding golf and its policies of access/no access. Her research culminated in The Unplayable Lie, the first work of its kind to address issues confronted by all genders and ethnicities, and immediately predated the professional debut of Tiger Woods in 1997.

My favorite aspects of the two works, are the courage and conviction that it took to write them, and believe in them. My least favorite aspects are the consistent bias that many groups continue to face. Without awareness, there is no action. Without action, there is no change.

Decision: Buy Them!!!!

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