HOUSTON (AP) — Jim Furyk is returning as U.S. Ryder Cup captain for the 2027 matches in Ireland as the Americans try to get back on track against a European team that has dominated the last three decades, The Associated Press has learned.
Furyk would be the fourth U.S. captain to get a second chance dating to 1979, considered the modern era of the Ryder Cup when continental Europe became part of it.
Three people aware of the selection process said the Ryder Cup committee chose Furyk once Tiger Woods removed himself from competition after his March 27 arrest on suspicion of DUI. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the PGA of America has not announced it.
Furyk declined to comment in a text message.
When asked for confirmation, the PGA of America said in a statement Friday, “We look forward to sharing details regarding our 2027 U.S. Ryder Cup captain announcement soon.”
Furyk was the 2018 captain in Paris, a 17 1/2-10 1/2 win by Europe. That week was marked by the four U.S. captain's picks going 2-10-0 at Le Golf National and Patrick Reed blaming Jordan Spieth for them not playing together and Furyk for benching him twice.
Furyk led the Americans to victory as Presidents Cup captain in 2024, and he was said to be a reliable voice as an assistant to U.S. captain Keegan Bradley in the last Ryder Cup.
Europe built a record seven-point lead after two days last year at Bethpage Black and held on for its second straight victory under captain Luke Donald, who returns for a third stint in Ireland.
Bradley was a surprise choice for the 2025 matches after the PGA of America waited until the summer of 2024 to see if Woods wanted the job.
This time around, the PGA of America set a soft deadline for the end of March for Woods to decide, and its backup plan was to have a list of candidates for the Ryder Cup committee to consider if Woods chose not to be captain.
It was not known which way Woods was leaning when his SUV clipped the back of a trailer being pulled by a pickup truck on a residential road in Florida, turning his SUV on its side. Woods was arrested and briefly jailed after Florida authorities determined he was impaired.
Four days later, Woods said he was stepping away indefinitely “to seek treatment and focus on my health," and he told the PGA of America he would not be captain.
Davis Love III (2012 and 2016), Tom Watson (1993 and 2014) and Jack Nicklaus (1983 and 1987) are the other U.S. captains to have the job twice since 1979.
Love and Nicklaus had Ryder Cup matches at home both times. Furyk faces the daunting task of trying to win a Ryder Cup on the road, which the Americans have not done since 1993.
The Americans were coming off a resounding victory at Hazeltine in 2016 when it went over to Le Golf National, set up with narrow fairways and thick rough. After getting out to a 3-1 lead, the Americans never won another session.
Woods, coming off his victory the week before at the Tour Championship, went 0-4. Phil Mickelson went 0-2 and Bryson DeChambeau was 0-3. All were captain's picks. DeChambeau had won two FedEx Cup playoff events leading into the matches.
Europe has won 11 of the last 15 matches dating to Oak Hill in 1995. Donald will try to become the first captain to win three straight times in September 2027 at Adare Manor.
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
FILE - US team captain Jim Furyk, holding the trophy, and Tiger Woods pose for a photo during the US Ryder Cup team photo call at Le Golf National in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, outside Paris, France, Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2018. (AP Photo/Francois Mori, file)
FILE - US team captain Jim Furyk attends the press conference of the losing team after Europe won the 2018 Ryder Cup golf tournament at Le Golf National in Saint Quentin-en-Yvelines, outside Paris, France, Sunday, Sept. 30, 2018. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, file)
ISTANBUL (AP) — The Turkish Grand Prix is back on the Formula 1 calendar next season for the first time since 2021, on an initial five-year agreement.
After an initial announcement Friday by the Turkish government and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, there was confirmation from F1 and its governing body, as Yuki Tsunoda sped along a major road through central Istanbul in a Red Bull car toward the Dolmabahce palace on the Bosphorus.
“In recent years we strengthened our position as being one of the islands of stability in the region and it is also a great signal that we are appreciated as a trustworthy country and our hospitality is also appreciated by the world," Erdogan said outside the palace.
Erdogan said the deal would be for “at least five years”.
The Istanbul Park circuit outside the city first hosted F1 from 2005 through 2011, and next year's race would be the first since Turkey returned to the calendar in 2020 and 2021 during disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Valtteri Bottas won the most recent race for Mercedes.
“Many memorable moments have been made in our sport’s history at Istanbul Park and I’m excited to begin the next chapter of our partnership, giving fans the opportunity to experience even more incredible racing in a truly fantastic location,” Formula 1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali said.
The news comes after the Iran war caused widespread disruption to sports in the region and forced F1 to call off races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia scheduled for this month.
That left a large gap in this year’s schedule. The Miami Grand Prix next week will be the first F1 race since the Japanese Grand Prix on March 29.
F1’s return to Istanbul had been widely expected since Domenicali said in February that it was a candidate to return.
He added venues like Istanbul Park and the Portimão circuit, which will host the returning Portuguese Grand Prix next year, show F1 is not focusing too much on street races in glamorous locations.
Those can be some of F1's most lucrative events, like the Las Vegas Grand Prix, but are generally less popular with drivers than purpose-built race tracks.
“Turkey is not 100% confirmed. Stay tuned on Turkey, let me put it this way,” Domenicali said at the time. “This is also to answer to the people that were saying there were too many street races. The new ones that are coming are tracks, not street races.”
The return of Turkey and Portugal next year will come as the Dutch Grand Prix, four-time champion Max Verstappen's home race, leaves the schedule after six years. The Belgian Grand Prix and the second Spanish race at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya will host in alternate years from 2027, freeing up another slot.
F1 estimated Friday it has 19 million fans in Turkey, and FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem called the race's return “a powerful reflection of the continued global growth and appeal of our sport.”
The Istanbul Park track was generally popular with drivers and its long, high-speed turn eight was often ranked as one of the most challenging corners in the world.
Felipe Massa is the most successful driver at the Turkish Grand Prix with three wins in a row for Ferrari from 2006 through 2008, while Lewis Hamilton has won the race twice.
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
FILE - Alpine driver Fernando Alonso of Spain steers his car during the first practice session ahead of Sunday's Formula One Turkish Grand Prix at the Intercity Istanbul Park circuit in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, Oct. 8, 2021.(AP Photo/Francisco Seco, file)
FILE - Formulas One drivers steer their cars during a practice session at the Istanbul Park circuit racetrack in Istanbul, Friday, Nov. 13, 2020. The Formula One Turkish Grand Prix will take place on Sunday. (AP Photo/Kenan Asyali, file)
FILE - AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tsunoda of Japan steers his car on a wet track as a safety marshal waves a red flag during practice for Sunday's Formula One Turkish Grand Prix at the Intercity Istanbul Park circuit in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, Oct. 9, 2021. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco, file)
