Jim Furyk has said the United States will alter its Ryder Cup preparation, qualification and analytical work before facing Europe at Adare Manor from 17-19 September 2027, with the American captain identifying alternate-shot performance as a particular weakness. Furyk made the comments at the year-to-go events in County Limerick, where he also described his side as underdogs for an away match the USA have not won since 1993.
The 56-year-old is returning as American captain after overseeing the USA’s defeat to Europe in France in 2018. The United States have also lost the past two Ryder Cups, and Furyk said those results meant the existing approach could not simply be retained. He said the programme would evolve from the way the team is assembled to player pairings, preparation and the people contributing to decisions.
Europe will face a U.S. side whose captain has identified changes to qualification, analytics, preparation and foursomes planning. Furyk’s plans remain at an early stage, but he has already identified several areas in which the USA’s 2027 process will differ.
Foursomes record drives Furyk’s concern
Furyk singled out foursomes, the alternate-shot format, as the clearest competitive issue. According to the PGA Tour, the United States have an 8-26 record in foursomes across their last four team events, and they have been shut out in a complete alternate-shot session at three of them.
The BBC reported that the Americans won only three points from 16 in the format over the past two Ryder Cups. That figure equates to 18.75% of the available points, underlining why Furyk has made it a priority rather than treating it as a short-term fluctuation.
He said captains must improve the way they put partnerships together and position them, while players must become more comfortable in the format. Furyk also indicated that he would ask his prospective team to do more than previous American Ryder Cup sides. Furyk did not provide a full public blueprint for the additional commitment, but he pointed to foursomes preparation and a scouting visit as parts of the approach.
The evidence does not establish how the 2027 pairings will look, but Furyk’s acknowledgement of the numbers provides a clear explanation for why the USA are targeting preparation and combinations well in advance.
Qualification and analytics have already changed
One change has been made to the points list used to determine automatic qualifiers and inform captain’s picks. Previously, players accrued Ryder Cup points over the rolling two-year interval between matches. For 2027, points will be collected only during the season leading into the contest, beginning with The American Express in January 2027.
Furyk said the shorter window was intended to reward players in stronger recent form. It does not determine the final team now, but it changes the period in which performances will carry weight towards automatic qualification.
The captain has also replaced Scouts Consulting Group, which had worked with American teams in numerous team competitions since 2016, with an analytics group led by Justin Ray and Hunter Stewart. Furyk said he had confidence in the new operation. In a separate Ryder Cup report, he said the changes were part of a broader attempt to improve not only at Adare Manor but in subsequent American campaigns.
There is also an attempt to retain useful elements from the recent Presidents Cup win at Medinah. Furyk attended that event and said he valued the possibility of building continuity from year to year. He nevertheless stressed that logistical work, travel arrangements and the team environment at Adare Manor were still being developed.
Europe’s captain wary of the underdog label
Furyk said the Americans should not be regarded as favourites in Ireland, citing the scale of the away challenge. The USA’s last Ryder Cup victory in Europe came at The Belfry in 1993, followed by seven defeats on European soil.
Luke Donald, who led Europe to a 16½-11½ win in Rome in 2023 and a 15-13 victory at Bethpage Black in 2025, was less certain that the USA would be underdogs. The Englishman said Furyk appeared highly focused on making amends for 2018 and the last two Ryder Cups, and he expected a strong American team.
Donald also said Europe may have more personnel change than in his previous two sides. He has already taken potential rookies Eugenio Chacarra, Angel Ayora, Alex Fitzpatrick and Kristoffer Reitan to Adare Manor.