No. 11: Jim Furyk
Veteran looks to bounce back from wrist injury

-
December 20, 2015
In November, Davis Love III named Jim Furyk as one of his vice captains for the Ryder Cup along with Steve Stricker, Tiger Woods and Tom Lehman. At the time of the announcement, though, Furyk was ranked ninth in the world and 10th in the U.S. standings so it's not a stretch to expect him to make what would be his 10th Ryder Cup as a player later this year.
The 45-year-old Furyk actually had been slated to play on his eighth Presidents Cup team this fall before he injured his left wrist and had to withdraw from the BMW Championship after six holes of the first round -- his first WD in 477 starts. Furyk also withdrew prior to the start of the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola in hopes of being healed in time for The Presidents Cup.
When Furyk wasn't able to play in Korea, U.S. Captain Jay Haas added him as an assistant. He didn't play during the fall, as has become his custom, but after winning the RBC Heritage, Furyk is eligible for the Hyundai Tournament of Champions for the first time since 2011 -- depending on the condition of his wrist.
The playoff win at Hilton Head was the 17th of the ageless Furyk's career and snapped a victory drought of nearly five years. In the nine years of the FedExCup, he's only finished outside the top 30 once -- and he won the $10 million bonus in 2010. -- Helen Ross
Click here to follow Helen on Twitter
Each day in December, PGATOUR.COM will count down our Top 30 Players to Watch in 2016, with No. 1 unveiled on Dec. 30.
SOCIAL MEDIA STATUS
Jim Furyk chooses not to have a Twitter or Instagram account, although he does maintain a limited presence on Facebook, where he shares inside information like this.
Many of you have messaged me requesting what I do nutritionally before each round. I'm a creature of habit!Every...
Posted by Jim Furyk on Thursday, July 9, 2015
FURYK IN THE FEDEXCUP
Furyk, the 2010 FedExCup champ, hasn't played yet in 2015-16 and will look to get back to the TOUR Championship after injury sidelined him last season.
PAST RESULTS: 2015 ... 29th | 2014 ... 4th | 2013 ... 14th | 2012 ... 15th | 2011 ... 36th
BY THE NUMBERS
Check out Jim's rankings for the 2014-15 season in the strokes gained categories.
INSIGHT FROM OUR INSIDERS
PGATOUR.COM's insiders look at Jim Furyk's upcoming year from their expert vantage points.
TOUR INSIDER by Brian Wacker
A left wrist injury ended Furyk’s season late in 2014-15, forcing him to withdraw from the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola and knocking him out of The Presidents Cup. How will the 45-year-old recover? Furyk’s success has always been tied to his accuracy off the tee and his ability with his irons. It has also been marked by hard work. He won for the first time in five years last season and had the benefit of a few months of recovery time.
EQUIPMENT INSIDER by Jonathan Wall
Furyk made very few gear changes over the course of the year. Swapped his Callaway XR driver for the company's Great Big Bertha at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. Furyk's Callaway RAZR X Forged '11 irons (4-PW) — the set he used to shoot 59 at the 2013 BMW Championship — are one of the oldest pieces of equipment in his bag.
STATS INSIDER by Charlie Kane
Furyk has ranked 22nd or better in strokes gained: tee-to-green in every season since 2004. He ranked in the top 10 in a number of categories including strokes gained: total, scoring average, fairway proximity, putting inside 10 feet and par-4 scoring average. The 45-year-old ranked 151th in driving distance and 152nd in sand saves.
STYLE INSIDER by Greg Monteforte
Furyk has improved his style game since his move to Dunning. The brand’s understated, yet stylish apparel agrees with Furyk's simple approach. He could improve his overall look in 2016 with a classic wingtip-style shoe, rather than the sneaker-style that he has been sporting.
FANTASY INSIDER by Rob Bolton
Will be entering 2016 as a question mark after getting sidelined by a bone contusion in his left wrist in September, but he often hibernates in the last quarter of the year anyway. And it's a good thing, too, as the 45-year-old doesn't recover as quickly as he used to. (He had surgery on the same wrist in 2004, but the recent pain was in a different area.) Certainly, it's reason for concern early, but every league has at least one owner who doesn't mind investing in (and usually benefiting from) a proven commodity immediately following an injury.
Jim Furyk's Golf Swing Sequence in Slow Motion - RBC Heritage