'I'm not playing a card': Furyk insists USA are Ryder Cup underdogs

Both Furyk and Luke Donald were vying for underdog status while the US captain promised changes are coming as he bids to end a long wait for an American victory on European soil

USA Ryder Cup captain Jim Furyk said 'he chips are definitely stacked against us' ahead of next year's tournament at Adare Manor. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Next year’s Ryder Cup may be 49 weeks away but Europe and the United States are already battling over who will be the underdogs when battle commences in the centenary edition of golf’s greatest team event.

Rival captains Luke Donald and his American counterpart Jim Furyk rounded off a weekend of Year To Go activities in and around the JP McManus-owned host course and the wider Limerick area with a media conference at the resort on Tuesday at which they both aimed to gain the psychological high ground.

It was done in the politest of ways, live on television from the Adare Manor ballroom with Furyk overlooking his team’s greater individual firepower spearheaded by world number one Scottie Scheffler to lean on Team USA’s miserable recent record of not having won the biennial matchplay competition on European soil since 1993.

Away from the cameras, speaking to journalists, Furyk doubled down on his team’s claim the underdog tag.

“It's a big challenge. They've got a wonderful captain. He's got a lot of history. I know his players believe in him,” the USA captain said.

“You go to course set-up. The way we play the game, the scores we shoot, have a lot to do with the set-up of the golf course rather than, say, the design of the golf course.

“And Luke and Dodo (vice captain Edoardo Molinari) did a wonderful job in Rome of kind of being able to tip the scales in their favour. I know they're going to have that opportunity again, and they'll be working diligently to be able to do that again.

“They've got the home crowd, which is loud in unison. The chants, the cheers coming from the soccer crowd, they're quite loud. And so, yeah, the chips are definitely stacked against us.

“We haven't won here in 34 years. It's going to be a home course, home-field advantage. I know what we're stacked up against, and I truly mean it. I truly feel like we're the underdogs. I'm not playing a card.

“If it's been 34 years, it's been a long time. There's a lot that we have to overcome. That was one of the things when I was asked to be captain... the fact about coming over here and how big of a task it's going to be, I enjoy that challenge.” 

Team European captain Luke Donald: 'For us, underdog is a mentality. We always want to prove something to ourselves, to the rest of the world.' Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Responding to Furyk’s assertions, Donald referred to USA’s 17-13 Presidents Cup victory over the Internationals at Chicago’s Medinah last month with an emphatic singles performance to come from three points down heading into the final session to win 17-13.

“I have zero complacency about how strong the US are going to be. They always are. On paper, they tend to be stronger than us through the World Rankings.

“Obviously we have a great record at home but again, zero complacency. You know, I've seen what Jim has been doing behind the scenes, changing the stats, changing the qualification system. He is very, very motivated to come here and put up a good fight.

“Certainly I'm just as motivated to sort of keep finding those edges for my team as well. But you know, I know that the US will be very strong.” 

Donald added: “For us, underdog is a mentality. We always want to prove something to ourselves, to the rest of the world. Yeah, we understand that being at home is an advantage but we also know that the US are very strong.” 

Furyk, who was captain at Le Golf National in Paris in 2018 when European were dominant 17.5 to 10.5 victors, acknowledged the Americans’ miserable recent record in the foursomes, alternate shot, format. Over the last four team events, either Presidents or Ryder Cups, the USA has won just eight of 34 matches, with a 13-3 losing record against the Europeans.

“It's not an anomaly. There's some issues. We understand that. Not something I'm very happy with.

“I plan on making some changes. I would say, one, as captains, we need to do a better job, not only put the folks into good pairings in good positions but I don't think we are preparing for those matches in a proper way.

“And I will promise you, we will be prepared. I'm going to ask this team to do more than any other United States team has in the past. We'll be prepared. We'll be ready to go in that format, and hopefully we can showcase our talent. We have too much depth to have that poor record in alternate-shot.”