Jim Furyk pledges foursomes overhaul after United States Ryder Cup struggles

Jim Furyk has pledged to change how the United States prepares for Ryder Cup foursomes, acknowledging that American captains have not done enough to ready their players for the alternate-shot matches. BBC Sport reported his comments from a news conference at Adare Manor, where the US and European captains appeared for the event's year-to-go gathering.

Watch the highlights:

The Americans collected just three points from a possible 16 in foursomes across the past two Ryder Cups. Furyk said that record reflected underlying problems rather than an isolated run of poor results. His assessment extended beyond choosing suitable partnerships: he also questioned whether teams had been preparing properly for the format and said he intended to make changes.

Furyk returned to the captaincy earlier this year after Keegan Bradley's side lost to Europe at Bethpage Black in 2025. His previous spell ended in a 17½-10½ defeat in France in 2018. The United States has not won a Ryder Cup in Europe since its 1993 success at The Belfry, with seven subsequent contests on European soil all ending in defeat.

There were successful partnerships during Furyk's first captaincy. Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas, two of the three youngest members of that American team, earned three points from four matches together across foursomes and fourballs in 2018. Discussing the current pool of players with the BBC, Furyk expressed enthusiasm about younger talent while also praising the experienced players who have represented the United States in recent years.

European captain Luke Donald also discussed his work with potential new team members. He invited Eugenio Chacarra, Angel Ayora, Alex Fitzpatrick and Kristoffer Reitan to a scouting visit at Adare Manor last month. Having made only one change between his first two winning teams, Donald said he expected the composition of the side to change more for the next edition.

Donald led Europe to a 16½-11½ victory in Rome in 2023 and a 15-13 win at Bethpage in 2025, the team's first away success since 2012. The next Ryder Cup is scheduled for 17-19 September 2027 at Adare Manor in County Limerick. It will be the second staging in Ireland, following the 2006 contest at the K Club.