Going into the Bethpage, fans had high expectations for Americans. The first day rolled in, and Keegan and Co. were 7 points behind after just four sessions. As the competition went by, Team US tried to redeem themselves, but the only thing they got was an agonizingly painful loss at their home, in front of their people. Jim Furyk had a front-row seat to it all as the vice captain, and he has some thoughts about how the outcome can be difficult at Adare Manor in 2027.

“Yeah, we definitely have to get better, without a doubt. I know it can be scathing, and we’re going to get criticized, and we should. We were seven points down after four sessions. That’s not acceptable. We’ve got to look in the mirror, but I don’t think that we have to tear it down,” Furyk shared with Rex on the Golf Channel podcast. “When you think back to 2014 and you think about the task force and all of us getting in a room and having conversations, it felt like a little bit of a start-over moment. You know, we have to start doing things differently.”

“The home teams won every Ryder Cup until this one. I don’t think it’s time to tear it down, but I do think it’s a time to reflect. It’s a time for all of us to get together with the PGA of America to figure out how we’re going to do that—making the plan and moving forward. But I think we keep building on what we’ve got.”

Keegan Bradley is far from the actual reason things went downhill at Bethpage. It actually begins with changes in the team’s preparation and staff structure. Mentioning the loss at Gleneagles in 2014, Furyk explained the start-over moment the PGA had back then. Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, and Jim Furyk were vocal proponents against the team’s leadership and its cracks. That forced the PGA to equip a Ryder Cup Task Force that worked to build long-term player continuity and a clearer hierarchy within the Ryder Cup management.

The Task Force brought significant changes, including player involvement in pairings and course setups, as well as a continued stretch of the captain-to-vice-captain pipeline acting as a relay within the team. That took pressure off the captain and brought in outside help from agencies like vice captains. While that ensured no home soil losses since then, Bethpage overturned the picture. And that has brought veterans, like Furyk, attention to the underlying gaps in the system.

Jim Furyk discussed with the management, putting forth his assessment for the Ryder Cup’s future. He emphasized that Team USA must think beyond the next event and plan for multiple Ryder Cups over many years. Moreover, he is advocating for inputs from a broad group (players, captains, and administrators).

“I think we need to look at the next 10 to 20 years of Ryder Cup golf,” Furyk quipped. “I’m anxious to kind of see the views from all different angles from the officers, from the captains, and from the players.”

These inputs not only democratize the leadership environment but also help in foreseeing the outcomes and threats of future events in advance. Moreover, beyond team strategy and planning, Furyk has emphasized the selection of the right captain in advance, too. He mentioned how Davis Love came to be the team captain before he handed down responsibilities to the next best suitor. He believes that exact thought needs to be put in, starting this year, for the Ireland edition.

Furyk also shed light on the playing captain situation that had been happening since Bradley was chosen as the youngest captain since Arnold Palmer, along with his genuine thoughts on Bradley’s ability to captain the team.

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What does Jim Furyk think of Keegan Bradley’s captaincy?

“When you’re a captain, you’re overseeing a large group of folks, not just 12 players. It’s pairings, it’s messaging, but you’re the CEO of a company of about 75 people. And the amount of work it takes to kind of get that group all moving in the right direction and all pulling and working for the same goal takes a lot of energy,” Furyk quipped on the stress of being a captain. Couple that with playing responsibilities, and you have the perfect recipe for disaster.

We don’t think anyone can forget the playing-captain frenzy Bradley found himself in weeks before the cup. While he pulled himself out of those discussions, we cannot ignore his own golfing career. At just 38, he is still in the prime of his career. Still, Furyk thinks Bradley did his best in conducting himself during the event.

“He wanted to be absolutely the best captain he could be. And his messaging during the week, the way he conducted himself and handled himself—I thought he did a good job,” Furyk said.

But “good” isn’t always enough. As for someone with significantly less experience, Bradley fell short of what the team needed, finishing the Ryder Cup with fresh regrets. The American pro at 38 is significantly younger than the usual Ryder Cup captain age, which is an average of 51 years. Last edition’s captain, Zach Johnson, was 47 when he captained the team, 9 years ahead of Bradley.

“Usually, we pick a captain who’s a little farther on in years. Keegan was only 38 years old. He’s still in the meat of his career. He still has opportunities to make Ryder Cup teams,” Furyk added. With his competitive edge still alive, the decision to select Bradley as the captain only feels jarring.

Despite the obvious, the PGA of America went with Keegan Bradley as the captain, raising much bigger questions about their internal leadership structure.  Whether the next captain would bring the team’s first away win in 32 years is still under speculation. But that’s definitely the goal moving ahead for both the US Team and the people and authorities behind the tournament.