Jim Furyk, Architect of a Ryder Cup Loss, Gets a Second Chance as U.S. Captain for 2027

Key facts

• Jim Furyk was named U.S. Ryder Cup captain for 2027, his second stint after losing 17½–10½ in 2018.
• The 2027 matches will be held at Adare Manor in Ireland, with Luke Donald captaining Europe.
• Scottie Scheffler said the PGA of America did not seek his input on the captaincy; he supports Furyk.
• Keegan Bradley, the 2025 losing captain, served on the selection committee that offered Furyk the job.
• Furyk was the winning U.S. captain at the 2024 Presidents Cup in Montreal, rallying from an 0–5 sweep on Day 2.
• The U.S. has not won a Ryder Cup on European soil since 1993.
• Furyk has been involved in every U.S. team event since 1997 as a player, vice-captain, or captain.

A Controversial Return to the Helm

Jim Furyk, the man who presided over the United States’ heaviest Ryder Cup defeat in a decade, will lead the American side again in 2027. The PGA of America announced the decision on Friday, tapping the 55-year-old to captain the U.S. team at Adare Manor in Ireland, where they will face a European side captained by Luke Donald. The announcement drew immediate skepticism from some corners, with critics comparing Furyk to a retread manager who had already failed at the highest level. In 2018 at Le Golf National in Paris, Furyk’s team lost 17½ to 10½, a blowout that left lasting scars. Now he could become the first U.S. captain to lose twice on the road.

Players Rally Behind a Steady Hand

Despite the external doubts, the players who will fill the roster have voiced strong support. Scottie Scheffler, the world No. 1 and a three-time Ryder Cup participant with a 3–6–3 record, said he was not consulted about the captaincy but praised Furyk’s organizational skills and deep experience. “With Jim you just have so much experience across so many team events whether it’s playing or being a captain,” Scheffler said. “The guy’s been on those teams for seems like for forever.” Keegan Bradley, who captained the losing U.S. team at Bethpage Black in 2025 and served on the selection committee that offered Furyk the job, described him as “steady.” Bradley recalled how Furyk remained unflappable during the 2024 Presidents Cup in Montreal, even after the U.S. was swept 0–5 on the second day. “He was just the same captain he was the day before,” Bradley said. “I think that’s what makes Jim great is there’s no ups and downs.” The U.S. recovered to win 18½–11½.

The Ghosts of 2018: Picks, Pairings, and a Public Feud

Furyk’s first captaincy was defined by decisions that, at the time, seemed defensible but later became symbols of failure. He selected Bryson DeChambeau as a captain’s pick after DeChambeau won two playoff events, but DeChambeau struggled mightily in France. He also chose Tony Finau, then ranked fourth by Data Golf, who became a rare bright spot — a selection that has since been forgotten. Perhaps the most consequential move was pairing Jordan Spieth with Justin Thomas for the first time. The duo wanted to play together and dominated their European opponents in 2018 and again in 2021. But that pairing effectively ended Spieth’s partnership with Patrick Reed, who was so upset that he took to the New York Times on the Sunday night of the Cup to lash out at Furyk’s leadership. “Team Europe’s leadership is praised for giving players no choice in who they play with; Reed threw a tantrum when he didn’t get his top pick,” one analyst noted.

A Record of Resilience and a Quest for Redemption

Furyk’s playing and leadership résumé is among the most extensive in American golf. He has been a player, captain, or assistant on every U.S. team since 1997 — a span of 15 consecutive Cups. He was the winning captain at the 2024 Presidents Cup, where his ability to steady the ship after a disastrous Saturday was widely praised. Yet the 2018 defeat remains the defining chapter. The U.S. has not won a Ryder Cup on European soil since 1993, a drought that now stretches 34 years. Furyk himself has acknowledged the difficulty of that result and has made peace with it, but he will surely adjust his approach for 2027. “I think that it’s a pretty great feeling for him to get another shot at this,” Bradley said.

The Selection Process and the Road Ahead

Bradley, who was a member of the Ryder Cup selection committee, said the decision to offer Furyk the job was made after considering other candidates, including Stewart Cink and Justin Leonard. Bradley himself was never seriously under consideration, despite threatening to earn a spot on the team and reaching as high as No. 6 in the Official World Ranking. “I think that having somebody that was close to making the team isn’t really what the position is about,” he said. The 2027 matches will be played at Adare Manor in Ireland, a course that can be tilted in Europe’s favor by Dodo Molinari, the European team’s course setup expert. Furyk will have 17 months to prepare, and the players are already signaling confidence. “He brings a lot of knowledge and experience to the table,” Scheffler said. “I think he’s going to do a great job.”

Coin Flips and Storytelling: The Unpredictable Nature of the Cup

The Ryder Cup, as one veteran observer put it, is often a collection of coin flips. Two teams stacked with talent produce narrow wins and blowouts on both sides, with 40-footers winning holes and missed 4-footers losing them. The margin between victory and defeat is often paper-thin, yet the narrative afterward focuses on intangibles — like the shampoo and sheets Donald changed in the team hotel before the 2025 Cup. Furyk knows this better than anyone. He has been on both sides of those coin flips, and he understands that the difference between a hero and a goat can be a single putt. Whether he can finally end the U.S. drought on foreign soil will depend on more than tactics; it will depend on the bounces of a small white ball. But for now, the players believe they have the right man to flip the coin.

The bottom line

• Jim Furyk, U.S. captain for the 2027 Ryder Cup, returns eight years after a 17½–10½ loss in Paris.
• Players like Scottie Scheffler and Keegan Bradley endorse Furyk for his steadiness and vast team experience.
• Furyk’s 2018 captaincy was marked by controversial picks and a public feud with Patrick Reed.
• He led the U.S. to a Presidents Cup victory in 2024 after rallying from an 0–5 sweep on Day 2.
• The U.S. has not won a Ryder Cup on European soil since 1993; Furyk could become the first American captain to lose twice on the road.
• The 2027 matches will be held at Adare Manor in Ireland, with Luke Donald captaining Europe.