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GolfWRX talks with Jim Furyk ahead of the FedEx Cup Playoffs
2010 FedEx Cup champion and newly minted “Mr. 58,” Jim Furyk was kind enough to speak to us as he gets ready for The Barclays at Bethpage Black this week.
Furyk starts his 2016 playoffs in a pair of precarious positions, owing mainly to the time he missed while recovering from wrist surgery. He’s 15th in the current Ryder Cup standings, needing to impress captain Love to earn a captain’s pick, and he’s 94th in the FedEx Cup standings, needing a good week at Bethpage to advance in the playoffs.
Fresh off a T10 finish at the Wyndham Championship, Furyk spoke with us by phone.
I told him that my very first PGA Tour event was the 2001 NEC Invitational at Firestone Country Club, in which he holed a majestic bunker shot and valiantly battled Tiger Woods for seven playoff holes before coming up short. “Cool event. Wish I would have won, but…” Furyk said.
Our conversation, below.
B.A.: A couple of weeks removed from shooting the 58. Any new perspective on it? Still surreal?
J.F.: Well, it’s a catch-22. I’m proud, and it’s been a little bit surreal that it happened. Also I had to go play…events. This week I’m at The Barclays. I kind of have to put it behind me and move forward. I’ve got a lot of golf in front of me. Right now I’m sitting at 94th in the points race, so I need to play week this week to move on and head to the Deutsche Bank.
What’s the mentality here as the playoffs are starting? Is it all about positioning and does that dictate attitude?
Yeah. Well I got off to a late start…I didn’t start the season until May. I’ve only played 12 events this year. I started a little bit behind the eight-ball, but I’ve been playing well here recently, and I was just trying to move up. Right now, I’m kind of just playing to extend the season. I think everyone knows the situation. If you’re in the top 30, you’re trying to stay, or you’re trying to move up to give yourself a [better] chance to win the FedEx Cup. If you’re outside the top 100, you’re trying to move in this week. It’s always about extending your season.
On the subject of “this week,” tell me a little bit about this Dress for Success campaign you and Tabitha are spearheading at The Barclays.
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday [between 9 and 12] bring an article of clothing [to the general parking lot for The Barclays]—women’s clothing, business attire—and get a ticket for one of the tournament rounds.
Good deal. Regarding the playoffs: Good play and strong finishes and winning and all that will necessarily lead to moving on, but I’ve always wondered what the calculus is, round by round and tournament by tournament, do you guys try to stay on top of the scenarios to figure out exactly what you need to do?
I think there are some folks who are just scoreboard watchers. They’re going to check their prediction, which moves around significantly based not only on what you’re shooting but what everyone else is doing. Then you’ve got other folks who don’t want to know, don’t want to worry about it. They just want to go play golf and know that the better they play, the better opportunity they have. I probably fall in the middle of both of those.
When you get down to it, at the end of the season, whether you’re trying to win a golf tournament or you’re trying to move on in the playoffs, it gets real easy to start worrying about the end product. And really, you kind of have to put that to the back of your mind. You have to worry about this week, this round, and what’s going to get me to that end result.
Yeah. I imagine it’s something you want to be aware of but it’s very easy to get caught up in, especially as it’s constantly shifting. And from our standpoint in the media, there’s so many storylines with the constant shifts, so we’re fixating on that…
But that’s part of it. I’m going to go out there Tuesday and Wednesday before the tournament and the media is going to talk about me being in the 94th spot. They’ll say I’m 15th on the Ryder Cup points list. I’m aware of all that. It’s not like any of it’s news. It’s my job to talk about it, and then I’ll put it in the back of my mind and go play golf.
That leads into your thoughts on Ryder Cup and your position there. I’m not sure mathematically if you can move into the top 8 this week with a win.
I’m not sure…[I’m] Trying to catch the captain’s eye. If I were to play well, have the opportunity to go to Deutsche Bank and do it all over again. And I’ve played well as of late. But if I don’t move on to Deutsche Bank, that’ll leave me with other guys playing and me not.
Just wanted to close with a couple of questions about equipment here, as we started as a forum of equipment enthusiasts. Do you see yourself as a tinkerer? Do you think about equipment from week to week, or do you kind of set it and forget it? What’s your orientation?
I would say I’m not a tinkerer. But if I’m not happy with my equipment, I have no problem switching or changing, if that makes sense. But once I get locked into something I like…driver-wise, iron-wise…I’m playing a set of irons from 2011. If I find a driver I like, I’ll play it for three years. As far as my lofts and lies, being able to grind the sole of a wedge to my fit, or talking about the center of gravity in my driver, I’m very knowledgable about that.
And I couldn’t tell you what any other company has out there, I can tell you quite a bit about Callaway’s products, but I can tell you a lot about my products.
So as long as the performance is there you’re happy week to week?
Yeah. Absolutely. Right now Callaway is testing drivers that are coming out next year, so they’re trying to get some feedback from the players, and I really enjoy being involved with the process. Telling them what I feel, what I see, what I think. As players, hopefully we can help them design better equipment. But ultimately it comes back to us in better equipment for the next year.
Thank you for the time, sir, and play well this week.
I’m going to gush in this intro paragraph, to get the emo stuff done early. I’ve not pulled harder for a professional to win, than Cameron Young. I coach golf in New York state, and each spring, my best golfers head to a state championship in Poughkeepsie. I first saw Cameron there as a 9th grade student. I saw him three more times after that. I reconnecected with Coach Haas from Wake Forest, an old interview subject from my days on the Old Gold and Black, the Wake newspaper. He was there to watch Cameron. After four years at Wake Forest, Young won on the Korn Ferry Tour, made it to the big tour, almost won two majors, almost won five other events, and finally got the chalice about 25 minutes from the Wake campus. Congratulations, Cameron. You truly are a glass of the finest. #MotherSoDear
OK, let’s move on to the Tour Rundown. The major championship season closed this week in Wales, with the Women’s Open championship. The PGA Tour bounced through Greensboror, N.C., while the PGA Tour Americas hit TO (aka, Toronto) for a long-winded event. The Korn Ferry lads made a stop in Utah, one of just two events for that tour in August. The many-events, golf season is winding down, as we ease from summer toward fall in the northern hemisphere. Let’s bask in the glory of an August sunrise, and run down a quartet of events from the first weekend of the eighth month.
LET/LPGA @ Women’s Open: Miyu bends, but she doesn’t break
Royal Porthcawl was not a known commodity in the major tournament community. The Welsh links had served as host to men’s senior opens, men’s amateurs, and Curtis and Walker Cups in prior years, but never an Open championship for the women or the men. The last-kept secret in UK golf was revealed once again to the world this week, as the best female golfers took to the sandy stage.
Mao Saigo, Grace Kim, Maja Stark, and Minjee Lee hoped to add a second major title to previous wins this season, but only Lee was able to finish inside the top ten. The 2025 playing of the Women’s Open gave us a new-faces gallery from day one. The Kordas and Thitikulls were nowhere to be found, and it was the Mayashitas, Katsus, and Lim Kims that secured the Cymru spotlight. The first round lead was held at 67 by two golfers. One of them battled to the end, while the other posted 81 on day two, and missed the cut. Sitting one shot behind was Miyu Yamashita.
On day two, Yamashita posted the round of the tournament. Her 65 moved her to the front of the aisle, in just her fourth turn around a women’s Open championship. With the pre-event favorites drifting off pace, followers narrowed into two camps: those on the side of an underdog, and others hoping for a weekend charge from back in the pack. In the end, we had a bit of both.
On Saturday, Yamashita bent with 74 on Saturday, offering rays of hope to her pursuing pack. England’s Charley Hull made a run on Sunday closing within one shot before tailing off to a T2 finish with Minami Katsu. Katsu posted the other 65 of the week, on Saturday, but could not overtake her countrywoman, Yamashita. wunderkind Lottie Woad needed one round in the 60s to find her pace, but could only must close-to’s, ending on 284 and a tie with Minjee for eighth.
On Sunday, Yamashita put away the thoughts of Saturday’s struggles, with three-under 33 on the outward half. She closed in plus-one 37, but still won by two, for a first Major and LPGA title.
PGA Tour @ Wyndham: Young gathers first title near home
Cameron Young grew up along the Hudson river, above metro New York, but he also calls Winston-Salem home. He spent four years as a student and athlete at Wake Forest University, then embarked on tour. This week in Greensboro, after a bit of a break, Young opened with 63-62, and revved the engine of Is this the week once more. Runner-up finishes at the Open, the PGA, and a handful of PGA Tour events had followers wonder when the day would come.
On Saturday, Young continued his torrid pace with 65, giving him a five-shot advantage over his closest pursuer. Sunday saw the Scarborough native open with bogey, then reel off five consecutive birdies to remind folks that his time had, at last, arrived. Pars to the 16th, before two harmless bogeys coming home, made Young the 1000th winner of an official PGA Tour event (dating back to before there was a PGA Tour) throughout history. What’s next? I have a suspicion, but I’m not letting on. Mac Meissner closed with 66 to finish solo 2nd, while Mark Hubbard and Alex Noren tied for third.
Korn Ferry Tour @ Utah Championship: Are you Suri it’s Julian?
Who knows exactly when the flower will bloom? Julian Suri played a solid careet at Duke University, then paid his dues on the world’s minor tours for three years. He won twice on two tours in Europe, in 2017. Since then, the grind has continued for the journeyman from New York city. At age 34, Suri broke through in Beehive state, outlasting another grinder (Spencer Levin) and four others, by two shots.
Taylor Montgomery began the week with 62, then posted 64, then 68, and finally, 70. That final round was his undoing. He finished in that second-place tie, two back of the leader. Trace Crowe, Barend Botha, and Kensei Hirata made up the last of the almost quintet. As for Suri, his Sunday play was sublime. His nines were 32 and 31, with his only radar blip a bogey at ten. He closed in style with one final birdie, to double his winning margin. Hogan bloomed late…might Suri?
PGA Tour Americas @ Osprey Valley Open presented by Votorantim Cimentos – CBM Aggregates
Some tournament names run longer than others. This week in Toronto, at the Heathlands course at TPC Toronto, we might have seen the longest tournament title in recorded history. The OVOPBVCCBMA was a splendid affair. It saw three rounds of 62 on Thursday, but of those early risers, only Drew Goodman would stick around until the end. 64 was the low tally on day two, and two of those legionnaires managed to finish inside the top three at week’s end. Saturday brought a 63 from Patrick Newcomb, and he would follow with 64 on Sunday, to finish solo fourth.
Who, then, ended up winning the acronym of the year? It turns out that Carson Bacha had the right stuff in TeeOhhh. Bacha and Jay Card III posted 63 and 64, respectively, on day four, to tie for medalist honors at 23-under 261. Nathan Franks was one shot adrift, despite also closing with 63. If you didn’t go low on Sunday, it was about the check, not the championship.
Bacha and JC3 returned to the 18th hole twice in overtime. Card nearly chipped in from the thick stuff for birdie, while Bacha peeked and shoved a ten-feet attempt at the win. On the second go-round, Card was long with his approach, into the native grasses once more. He was unable to escape, and a routine par from the fairway was enough to earn the former Auburn golfers a first KFT title.
Card III and Bacha both miss their birdie tries on the first playoff hole.
We’ll play 18 again @OspreyOpen. pic.twitter.com/vNpHTdkHDg
— PGA TOUR Americas (@PGATOURAmericas) August 3, 2025
GolfWRX is live this week from the final event of the PGA Tour’s regular season, the Wyndham Championship.
Photos are flowing into the forums from Sedgefield Country Club, where we already have a GolfWRX spirit animal Adam Schenk WITB and plenty of putters for your viewing pleasure.
Check out links to all our photos below, which we’ll continue to update as more arrive.
General Albums
- 2025 Wyndham Championship – Tuesday #1
- 2025 Wyndham Championship – Tuesday #2
- 2025 Wyndham Championship – Tuesday #3
WITB Albums
- Chandler Phillips – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Davis Riley – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Scotty Kennon – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Austin Duncan – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Will Chandler – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Kevin Roy – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Ben Griffin – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Peter Malnati – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Ryan Gerard – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Adam Schenk – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Kurt Kitayama – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Camilo Villegas – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Matti Schmid – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
Pullout Albums
- Denny McCarthy’s custom Cameron putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Swag Golf putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Karl Vilips TM MG5 wedges – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- New Bettinardi putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Matt Fitzpatrick’s custom Bettinardi putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Cameron putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
See what GolfWRXers are saying and join the discussion in the forums.
Kurt Kitayama just won his 2nd PGA Tour event at the 3M Open. Kurt is a Bridgestone staffer but with just the ball and bag. Here are the rest of the clubs he used to secure a win at the 2025 3M Open.
Driver: Titleist GT3 (11 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD VF 7 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT1 3Tour (14.5 degrees, A3 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 TX
7-wood: Titleist GT1 (21 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 9 TX
Irons: TaylorMade P7CB (4), TaylorMade P7MB (5-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (52-12F, 56-14F), Vokey Design WedgeWorks (60-K*)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Newport 2 Tour Prototype
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy 1.0PT
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Bridgestone Tour B XS (with Mindset)
‘Why would anybody want to change that swing?’ – Brandel Chamblee says PGA Tour star was wrong to change his swing
‘The stupidest freaking thing I’ve ever heard’ – Billy Horschel slams Open idea suggested by Padraig Harrington
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Golfer proudly posts photo of ball mark on iron, receives immediate roasting
WITB Time Machine: Matthew Wolff’s winning WITB, 2019 3M Open
Oakmont Country Club bans Wyndham Clark over locker incident; Reveals specific conditions to earn reinstatement
Adam Scott puts Callaway blades in the bag at Wyndham Championship
Report: LIV star fires caddie and coach in shock shake up
Rickie Fowler makes equipment change to ‘something that’s a little easier on the body’
The championship formula: How 3 key stats separate winners from the field
Peter Malnati WITB 2025 (August)
Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Titleist...
Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2025 Wyndham Championship
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting) Buy here. Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX 3-wood: Titleist...
Camilo Villegas WITB 2025 (July)
Camilo Villegas WITB accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. Villegas was undecided on a 3-wood when we shot his bag. ...
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Brandt Snedeker fired a final-round 65 at the 2018 Wyndham Championship to outlast Webb Simpson and C.T. Pan. His 5-under...
