The United States must improve its performance in team play, said Jim Furyk, who won two matches with teammate Tiger Woods. (Photo: Getty Images)

Don't ever question my Ryder Cup desire, says Furyk

Jim Furyk was offended by a writer Sunday night, but chose to hold his tongue and walk away. Afterward, he stressed how much the Ryder Cup meant to him, and said the Irish fans were the best he'd ever seen.

September 27, 2006

CHANDLER'S CROSS, England (PA) -- U.S. Ryder Cup star Jim Furyk bit his tongue rather than strangle an American writer who asked him on Sunday night if their defeat to Europe really mattered to him.

The world No. 3 was highly unimpressed by the line of questioning following the big European victory at the K Club near Dublin on Sunday night.

"When someone questions what is inside me or my teammates, that's the offensive part," said Furyk, in England for the WGC-American Express Championship this week. "That's where I think guys get upset.

"Everyone who knows me inside knows how important the Ryder Cup is. And if you can't get up for the Ryder Cup, you don't have a pulse," he explained. "I had a very well-respected writer ask me point blank to my face whether in the whole big scheme of things whether it actually mattered to me.

"Now, without wanting to reach out and just strangle him or send a few F-bombs his way, I just bit my tongue, told him he offended me and walked away," he added. "There is not much else I can do. It's an offensive question.

"It's the premium event. I get more jacked up for that than I could imagine ever getting jacked up for an event individually, maybe to a fault at times," he said. "It's exciting. You could not step on the first tee last week and listen to everybody pound their feet in the stands and listen to the place going nuts and singing and thinking 'how cool is this?'.

"The fans last week were phenomenal. They were probably the best I've ever seen."

Furyk, of course, played four times with Tiger Woods, winning twice and losing twice before being beaten by Paul Casey in the singles.

"You just got slapped in the face and it's hard to come up with an answer right off the bat," Furyk said. "I think it'll be a good time for reflection. You can run with it probably a million different ways.

"We obviously got outplayed in all aspects and in the five Ryder Cups I've played, four of them we've done just an horrendous job on Friday and Saturday in team play."

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