Kevin Kisner has revealed what Keegan Bradley said about Jim Furyk in front of the American team immediately after their loss at the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black.
Furyk has now been confirmed as the next captain of the US Ryder Cup team. Of course, there was plenty of intrigue surrounding the direction the PGA of America would go in once it became apparent that Tiger Woods would not be taking on the role.
Furyk has led the American side before. Unfortunately, that experience proved to be a real disappointment, with Team USA losing 17.5-10.5 at Le Golf National in 2018.
The 55-year-old did, however, lead Team USA to victory at the 2024 Presidents Cup. Keegan Bradley went on to play on that side, having earned a pick from Furyk.
Bradley named Furyk as one of his assistant captains for the Ryder Cup at Bethpage. And it seems that he was keen to see him take on the top role for Adare Manor.
Speaking on the Fore Play Podcast, Kevin Kisner explained why he was not at all shocked to see Furyk emerge as the leading candidate.
“I wasn’t surprised at all that they asked Jim to do it. Maybe Jim and Tab taking the task on, I was maybe a little surprised by, just because he’s been involved in that for a long time and it’s a ton of effort and time and work. I just wasn’t sure he wanted to do it again,” he said.
“But Keegan made a heck of a speech on Sunday night after the Ryder Cup that he felt like it was a perfect opportunity for Jim to come back and try another shot at an away Ryder Cup. I don’t know if that carried weight.
“Obviously, we all know it was probably Tiger’s job to take, and then that fell through. Certainly, we can name guys on the list that are deserving that played in a bunch of Ryder Cups, but Jim’s intimately involved with all of the guys from being the Presidents Cup captain two years ago, and then assistant on the Ryder Cup team last year, and he’s trusted among the team, the guys, and I think you would struggle to bring in an older guy that has experience that just isn’t involved with the younger guys anymore. I think that’s what the young guys like. They feel comfortable around Jim.”
Furyk would have almost certainly been the most important member of Bradley’s backroom team in New York.
Bradley also had Kisner, Gary Woodland, Brandt Snedeker, and Webb Simpson as his assistants. Neither Woodland nor Kisner had played on a Ryder Cup team in the past.
Meanwhile, Furyk was the one member of the set-up no longer playing on the PGA Tour. So he arguably had an important perspective as the team came together.
Team USA will hope that Furyk has learned lessons from the mistakes of the 2018 Ryder Cup. Like Bradley, his tenure will be remembered for some bizarre pairings.
The visitors took just 7.5 points from the final four sessions in France. Anything like a similar return in Ireland in 2027 will lead to another heavy defeat on European soil for the Americans.