There’s a lot of talk about the FedEx Cup points race and the $10 million prize that goes to the season-long winner following next weekend’s Tour Championship outside Atlanta.
That’s why it’s refreshing to hear Jim Furyk talk as much, if not more so, about the Presidents Cup standings. Furyk is the reigning PGA Player of the Year, thanks in large part to his victory at last year’s Tour Championship and subsequent $10 million payday.
But after firing a 3-under 68 to sit tied for fifth after first-round play in the BMW Championship at Cog Hill, Furyk talked as much about his love for international competition as individual accolades.
“It’s an honor to represent your country,” Furyk said. “I’ve played on a bunch of teams and I cherish those memories. My mind is not willing to give that up yet.”
Furyk has played on six straight Presidents Cup and seven straight Ryder Cup teams. He is ninth in the Presidents Cup standings, with the top 10 automatically qualifying for captain Fred Couples’ team. Couples already has named Tiger Woods as one of his captains’ picks for the tournament at Royal Melbourne in Australia on Nov. 17-20.
“It’s something I’m very proud of because of the consistency involved over the years,” Furyk said of his streak. “My wife and I enjoy the camaraderie and spending time with everyone. There’s going to be a day where I get older and I’m not going to be capable or able to play in those events. And I’m going to miss it dearly. I’m hoping that day isn’t coming soon.”
Give that man a birdie.
Birdie: Sergio Garcia. In between bites of a sandwich, the Spaniard called playing partners Carl Pettersson and Tommy Gainey over to his 288-yard drive into a fairway bunker on No. 10. “I can’t move this leaf, can I?” Garcia asked. His rules instincts proved correct, and he struck ball and leaf as one.
Bogey: Unfortunately, Garcia’s conscientiousness didn’t get rewarded. He advanced his second shot from fairway bunker to greenside bunker and missed a 5-footer for par.
Birdie: For all of Phil Mickelson’s criticisms of Cog Hill’s par-3s, the second hole proved a doozy of a test. Playing at 214 yards, the hole yielded only eight birdies, 20 bogeys and four double bogeys. Its stroke average of 3.286 made it the second-toughest on the day. One of those double bogeys came from Mickelson, who drove into the gallery and flubbed his first lob wedge. Revenge?
Bogey: Luke Donald. The world’s top-ranked player continued his struggles at Cog Hill, bogeying three of his first five holes, including a double bogey on No. 5, and finished with 13 straight pars for 4-over. “I haven’t played that great here,” Donald said.
Birdie: Belly putters. Furyk and Mickelson both recently switched to one. Lefty needed just 24 putts on his round, a field low. And Furyk tied for 10th in the 70-man field with 27 putts.
Twitter @kcjhoop
