Jim Furyk hints form will be No 1 priority for Ryder Cup wildcards
By Keith Jackson
Last Updated: 18/08/18 1:00am
Jim Furyk revealed he is likely to consider players in form ahead of experience and compatibility when he considers his captain's picks for the US Ryder Cup team.
Furyk is delighted with the eight automatic qualifiers that were confirmed at the conclusion of the PGA Championship, with Brooks Koepka's second major win of the year lifting him above Dustin Johnson to the top of the final standings.
Justin Thomas is currently the lone Ryder Cup rookie in Furyk's side for next month's showpiece at Le Golf National in Paris, although the Team USA skipper is hardly concerned about his lack of experience in the competition having ended 2017 as a major winner, FedExCup champion and PGA Tour Player of the Year.
Furyk would not be drawn on whether he will select Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson after they narrowly missed out on qualifying outright along with the likes of Bryson DeChambeau, Xander Schauffele and Matt Kuchar.
But he is delighted with his confirmed line-up so far, and he is relishing the task of masterminding a first US win on European soil since Tom Watson led his side to victory at The Belfry 25 years ago.
"We know the atmosphere will be fantastic," said Furyk, who proved he can still compete on the PGA Tour after rounds of 65 and 68 at the Wyndham Championship. "We know the fans will be loud and we'll be playing against a really tough team, but I've already got eight guys who will like that challenge.
"Look at Brooks Koepka. It seemed like when things got tough at the PGA he played superb golf down the stretch, so that's what we're hoping for in September."
Asked for his criteria when it comes to naming his four wildcard picks, Furyk added: "Right now we have a lot of experience, so I wouldn't say that's the most important thing. If you look at our top eight, there's only one guy that hasn't played in the Ryder Cup and that's Justin Thomas.
"But Justin won the PGA last year, he was PGA Tour Player of the Year and also won the FedExCup, so he's got plenty of experience.
"Form and compatibility are fairly even, but I would say form might get the nod, although compatibility is a very, very close second.
"I always like experience but we already have it so I'm not thinking that's the most important. But if we had four or five rookies on the team, then experience would be number one."
Furyk will name his first three wildcards on September 4, and he will finalise his team with his fourth captain's pick after the following week's BMW Championship.
European captain, Thomas Bjorn, will unveil his four picks live on Sky Sports on September 5, and you can be the first to hear the announcement. Enter via #SkyVIP on the #MySky app before midnight on Sunday to win a place in the live studio audience.
