The U.S.’ uneven play at the Presidents Cup won’t be enough at the Ryder Cup

On Sunday, the U.S. team did what American teams so often do in cup competitions: outplay their opponents in 18-hole singles matches. At Medinah, the Americans won the Presidents Cup’s Sunday session 9.5-2.5 and finished with a 17-13 victory.

The atmosphere felt like a Ryder Cup: loud galleries that occasionally crossed the line, emotional gestures from players, captains and vice captains riding in carts, and Donald Trump on the first tee. The matches were played on Medinah’s No. 3 course, host of the 2012 Ryder Cup, when the Americans lost after an unusually poor showing in Sunday singles.

That emphatic Sunday win also underlined the challenge Jim Furyk will face at the 2027 Ryder Cup at Adare Manor in Ireland. It will be Furyk’s second stint as captain; he led the U.S. team in France in 2019, when the Americans lost. The United States has not won a Ryder Cup in Europe since 1993. This year, Furyk served as one of Brandt Snedeker’s assistants.

The central question is how to build winning teams for Friday and Saturday foursomes, in which two players alternate shots with one ball. Medinah again showed how strong the Americans are in Sunday singles, but they will need much more at the Ryder Cup in Ireland. The team must also adapt to an American-style course in a country known for its traditional golf and arrive early enough to deal with jet lag. During Furyk’s previous captaincy, in Paris, tired players—notably Tiger Woods—became an issue.

Snedeker has already shown how important bold decisions can be. When making his captain’s picks, he chose rookie Jackson Koivun over experienced veteran and U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun. Spaun said the captain’s call was brief and blunt. Koivun went 2-0-1. Whether Spaun could have done more is unknowable, but Koivun has made a significant start.

Snedeker’s decision to bench Scottie Scheffler on Saturday afternoon was just as debatable. In the end, it may have been ridiculous, bold and brilliant all at once: Scheffler was rested for Sunday singles and won comfortably on a day when the momentum could have shifted with one swing.

After the event, the author’s colleague Nick Piastowski asked Furyk what he learned from the Presidents Cup. The captain said:

“I’ve been around these teams for a long time. I started back in ’97, so I’ve seen a lot of lineups and a lot of team rooms. I think you’re always learning. I’m always trying to find new ways and new ideas.

“We’ve made some good runs on Sunday, but it’s hard to really get them over the hump and actually finish it off, and these guys finished it off like I’ve never seen before.

“If you’ve been listening all year, you’ve heard the question: Why did you come back? Why did you want to be the Ryder Cup captain? Because I love these guys. I really do. I think they’re special. We’ve got a lot of great veterans in the room, people we really lean on, and we’ve got a lot of young guys. Our three rookies balled out this week. I’m really proud of them. I’m really happy for them.

“More than anything, I just want these 12 guys to really enjoy themselves and enjoy what they accomplished together because it was special today.”

Furyk then added the most important line: “I love these events—they’re the favorite parts of my career.”

If a captain can convey that feeling to his players, it may help the team in foursomes—and make all the difference at the Ryder Cup.