Jim Furyk could be the first playing US Ryder Cup captain since Arnold Palmer in 1963

Jim Furyk being unveiled as the US Ryder Cup captain for the 2018 edition to be held in Paris

What’s the story?

Jim Furyk was elected as the US captain for the 2018 Ryder Cup on Wednesday at PGA of America headquarters in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. With nine Ryder Cups as a player to his name, he will be the most experienced captain in US Ryder Cup history. With Furyk being far from done with regards to playing at the high level, only one question springs to mind: Will he be the first playing captain in over half-a-century?

Furyk was asked just that after his official unveling and as expected he took his time to put together a measured response: "I don't want to say no, but also, my main focus and what I'm really interested now, is being a captain," said Furyk, who will play a full schedule of 18-20 events on the PGA tour after injury troubles last season.

Following the press conference, Furyk added this: "If this time next year, I'm in the talk, if I'm in the top eight (on the points list), then I think it's time to have that discussion."

In case you didn’t know…

Arnold Palmer was the last playing captain in 1963 on the US Ryder Cup team. Furyk, 46, currently sits at No. 37 in the Official World Golf rankings and missed out narrowly on making the team in 2016 despite a long layoff due to a wrist injury.

He looked like he was about to play his way onto the team for the 10^th time when he finished runner-up last year at the US Open and became the first player to shoot 58 on the PGA Tour in August. Although he did not receive a captain’s pick on Davis Love III’s team, he was a vice-captain on the winning US team that defeated Europe 17-11 to end an eight-year losing streak in the biennial event.

He also served as a vice-captain for Jay Haas in America’s 2015 Presidents Cup victory in South Korea. Furyk qualified for that team but was sidelined by the same wrist injury that got in the way of his qualification bid for the 2016 US Ryder cup team.

The heart of the matter

The 2018 Ryder Cup will be played at Le Golf National just outside of Paris. It’s the first time France will host the event and Furyk will face a mountainous task in leading Team USA to its first win on foreign soil in the event since 1993.

Past US Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup players were all singing high praises of the 17-time PGA Tour winner as a level-headed but fierce competitor who brings a brand of leadership that he already has displayed as a team member and with which they are comfortable.

Furyk was widely touted to be selected as the captain and no one was caught by surprise just as Thomas Bjorn’s selection as the European captain was the least bit unexpected after all the years he has served as an apprentice as a player as well as an assistant. 

What’s next?

It's no secret this has been the favorite event of my career," said Furyk, who owns a 10-20-4 career Ryder Cup record as a player. "I get chills just thinking about all the events I've been fortunate enough to play in. . . . I look forward so much to the next two years." 

Furyk’s first task as Ryder Cup captain was to name Davis Love III, the winning US captain at Hazeltine, as a vice-captain.

Irrespective of whether Furyk’s Ryder Cup playing career is over or not, his biggest advantage at Le Golf National will be that his PGA tour career is very much active and thriving.

"I wanted to be relevant on the PGA Tour," Furyk said about the timing of being named captain. "I wanted to know the guys and know the young players well."

Jim has been the captain among the players, so to speak and will make a smooth transition into the role. He has all the experience, knowledge, wisdom and strategies, that he has applied as a captain inside the locker room as a player over many editions of the Ryder Cup, to revel in the role of the US Ryder Cup captain and one would expect him to to rise to the ocassion when the event kicks of in Paris in 2018.

Sportskeeda’s Take

While it remains to be seen whether the highly accomplished veteran of the Ryder Cup will be present in a playing capacity at the Ryder Cup in 2018, one thing is for sure that every player on the team will want to have him as his partner if he makes the team based on securing an automatic qualification spot. 

It will be an immense amount of responsibility for Furyk should he make the team as it is a big undertaking to be the Ryder Cup captain, let alone play while being the captain. Furyk with all his experience knows how the Ryder Cup works and will have all the players on the same page. He is a great representative for golf and for the United States.