Steve Stricker happy with Ryder Cup wildcard change and having Jim Furyk on board
Wednesday 20 February 2019 22:25, UK
Steve Stricker made two significant announcements as it became clear he had already began preparations for next year's Ryder Cup before he was confirmed as Team USA captain.
Stricker was unveiled as the new US skipper by the PGA of America in Milwaukee on Wednesday, and his first act was to appoint last year's beaten captain Jim Furyk to his backroom team for the 2020 contest at Whistling Straits.
Wisconsin native Stricker, who becomes the first non-major winner to captain the US Ryder Cup team, also confirmed that he would not have the "hot hand" wildcard pick ahead of next year's renewal.
Due to the restructure of the PGA Tour schedule, the season will now finish almost a month before the Ryder Cup, and Stricker will announce all four of his captain's picks two days after the conclusion of next year's Tour Championship in Atlanta.
Ahead of last year's Ryder Cup in Paris, Furyk named Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau as his first three wildcards after the Dell Technologies Championship in early September, and he completed his line-up with the addition of Tony Finau six days later.
Two years previously, Davis Love III named Ryan Moore as his final wildcard on the eve of Ryder Cup week at Hazeltine, and Stricker believes that finalising the team so late can cause problems.
Stricker said: "With the change to the schedule on the PGA Tour, we have now a three-week period between when the Ryder Cups points end and The Ryder Cup itself.
"So we have this time period where we can make those selections, get everybody on board and on the same page, formalise our team, work on the pairings and give our guys an opportunity to rest and get their games in shape if they need to, and then take part in The Ryder Cup.
"I think it's a good move. We experienced where we waited on a pick last year and that, too, provides a few issues along the way. But now, I think we've formalised a really good system here, and it should be really good."
Stricker also confirmed he had followed the lead of previous captains when he named his predecessor as his first vice-captain, and he is convinced Furyk will be "very beneficial" to the team despite overseeing the seven-point defeat to Europe in Paris.
"Jim and I are friends and we go way back, we almost had our rookie years together," added Stricker. "He was a vice-captain for me at the Presidents Cup last year, and I was with him last year in Paris. Truly a great guy.
"He brings a lot to the table. Even if it wasn't up to the Ryder Cup committee, I would still have Jim Furyk as a vice-captain. He's a good guy, he means a lot to me and he'll be very beneficial to the team."
Stricker also revealed that one of his main priorities was to improve communication within the team, with the fallout from last year's heavy defeat dominated by rumours of unrest in the locker room.
"I think communication is my biggest thing," he added. "I want to make sure that all these players that make the team know what to expect from me and what I expect from them.
"I think just listening to them, giving them a great environment to succeed and be able to put their best foot forward. But I think communication and being up front with them and knowing what I expect from them is going to be the biggest thing.
"If you're up front with the player, let them know where he stands, I think that's the best you can do. Unfortunately, four guys have to sit every match, and that's what makes it difficult and it makes it hard on all the players.
"It makes it hard on the captains to try to figure it out to put our best team out there. But if the guy truly has the team in mind, he understands that and the team can go forward from there."
