If you wanted a well respected, squeaky clean, experienced player to be the next captain of the US Ryder Cup team, my guess is you couldn't do better than veteran Jim Furyk to lead the troops next year at the National just outside Paris, France.
He was appointed yesterday as the unanimous choice by the Ryder Cup committee.
He has played on nine consecutive teams starting in 1997, and he was an assistant captain to Davis Love III last year at Hazeltine and Love will be one of his assistants in France to maintain the new continuity of the American squad under the Ryder Cup committee of Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Love and 3 top PGA of America officials.
They have not won on the road in 25 years. Furyk is now 46 and still playing well on the PGA Tour. He is currently #37 in the world.
Much of the early debate is whether he should be a playing captain should he qualify, something that hasn't happened since Arnold Palmer in 1963 at East Lake.
Personally I don't think so. There are enough talented young guns who should continue to be blooded in this most pressure packed of all golf events, and the captain's job has evolved completely since Arnie's day when the US could send out any 12 they wanted to beat the old GB and Ireland teams.
Plus the whole world is watching now, with the Europeans holding the upper hand until last year.
Bryan Angus
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