USA Ryder Cup captain, Jim Furyk leads his star-studded team into next week’s much-anticipated Ryder Cup confident of security arrangements in place in ‘terrorism-alert’ France but not so sure on his opening speech and player gifts.
This year’s staging of the biennial competition between the best golfers from Europe and the U.S. will see the largest security force ever in place not only for a golf tournament but for a sporting event since the 2016 Rio Olympics, and with reports of a ‘ring of steel’ to encompass the host Golf le National course on the outskirts of Versailles.
Eleven of Furyk’s team are competing this week in the season-ending Tour Championship, and along with their respective caddies, will depart Sunday night on a special charter flight out of Atlanta headed straight to Paris.
Ryder Cup captain, Jim Furyk (Photo @tourmiss)
It is understood Jordan Spieth, and the only other member of the side not to qualify for the Tour Championship, will join the flight in Atlanta.
Five of six European’s also competing the East Lake course have their own charter flight that will also depart Atlanta at the close of the Tour Championship and Rory McIlroy, along with his caddy, Harry Diamond, flying via their own private jet to the French capital
Furyk had been briefed on security this time last year when he travelled to France for the official ‘Year to Go’ celebration and indicates he and the PGA of America have been kept regularly updated on all matters security.
“I know from being over in Paris for the ‘One-Year-To-Go’ functions that France have worked very, very hard on the security for the Ryder Cup,” he said.
“We have been given the assurance that every measure possible will be in place when we get to the Ryder Cup.
“We did have a briefing when I was over there with our team from the PGA of America and also in our meetings with Thomas (Bjorn) and the European Tour, along with the many French bodies involved with the Ryder Cup.
“So, I had the opportunity to meet those folks looking after the security and they provided me with a little bit of an idea what they were working on.
“But then they are not telling us how to hit 7-irons and I am not telling them how to do their jobs (smiling).
“Though in saying that I have all confidence in leading my team to France that there will be no concerns with security.”
If anything, Furyk’s biggest concernh he confessed has been working on his ‘Opening Ceremony’ speech and also choosing what gifts to present to each of his dozen USA team members and his team of vice-captains.
“I received my opening ceremony speech earlier this month and these past few weeks I’ve been working on it and cleaning it up, so I should be right to next week,” added Furyk.
“The PGA of America had some ideas of what I need to talk about but I have had help from a speech writer as I am a terrible writer of speeches. I know I am a much better writer than I am a speaker.
“Thank goodness also as Tabitha (wife) has been very helpful in choosing the player gifts. I’ve looked at them all and approved them. I have the best wife ever and she’s been great helping out with everything in that regard.”
And having been a member of the losing 2014 USA Team, and now with Furyk’s team the first American side returning to European soil since that bitter Gleneagles disappointment, Furyk is confident the new overall selection process in place, as evident ahead of the highly-successful 2016 Ryder Cup, will stand his side in good stead
“We started changing the culture four years ago and I think 2016 was a huge step forward, and in order to take the next step we want to have a winning record and the maths is pretty simple as in order to do that you have to start winning in a row,” said Furyk.
“So, we head to France with a first opportunity to achieve that.”
