Furyk, Jim

Jim Furyk, in fullJames Michael Furyk, (born May 12, 1970, West Chester, Pennsylvania, U.S.), American professional golfer who is noted for his unorthodox swing but remarkable consistency spanning two decades and resulting in numerous Top 10 finishes in the four Major championships. He won his only Major, the U.S. Open, in 2003 and reached the rank of No. 2 golfer in the world in 2006.

Furyk was raised around the game of golf. His father was the head or assistant head professional at several golf courses in Pennsylvania, and it was from his father that he received his only formal training in the sport. His father believed in cultivating a natural swing, accepting whatever movement felt most comfortable with the golfer, which accounts for his son’s effective but strange and unusual swing, one which golf commentator David Feherty likened to an octopus falling out of a tree. Furyk honed his skills in the junior program at Meadia Heights Golf Club in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and then attended Manheim Township High School before going to the University of Arizona, where he was twice named All-American and led his school to its first and only NCAA golf championship in 1992.

Furyk also turned professional in 1992, joining the developmental Nike Tour. He won his first tournament, the Mississippi Gulf Coast Classic, the following year and joined the PGA tour in 1994. He then won at least one tournament annually over a six-year span, from 1998 to 2003. His biggest victory came at the 2003 U.S. Open, where he earned his first Major championship and tied the record for the lowest overall score in the tournament’s history. He finished second on the world money list for professional golfers in 2006 and earned the Vardon Trophy, given to the golfer with the “best scoring average” for the season. His best year, however, was 2010, when he won three tournaments including the season-ending Tour Championship, which earned him the lucrative FedEx Cup and $10 million in prize money. For his outstanding play he was also named PGA Player of the Year for 2010.

In 2013, at the BMW Championship, he became only the sixth golfer in PGA history to shoot a round of 59. In 2016, in the final round of the Travelers Championship, he shot a 12-under-par 58, missing a putt on the final green for a 57. This was the lowest 18-hole round ever shot in PGA history, making Furyk the first PGA professional ever to register two rounds under 60.