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Jim Furyk has rejected Patrick Reed’s criticism of his Ryder Cup captaincy, saying the Masters champ he knew “weeks in advance” that he wouldn’t be resuming his hitherto successful partnership with Jordan Spieth at Le Golf National.
Within hours of the United States’ thumping defeat at the hands of Thomas Bjorn’s European team in France, Reed gave an interview to the New York Times, criticising the decision to split up he and Spieth.
“He and I know how to make each other better,” said Reed. “We know how to get the job done.”
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Both Reed’s wife and mother-in-law also vented their fury over some of Furyk’s decision-making, making their feelings known on social media.
However, in his first interview since the defeat, Furyk told Tim Rosaforte of the Golf Channel that Reed was well aware of the plans before the team even departed for France.
“All four players [Reed, Spieth, Tiger Woods and Justin Thomas] knew who they would be playing with weeks in advance,” Furyk said. “In fact I had a messaging with Patrick a week out from the Ryder Cup. They knew they were going out that first session in fourball, and I think that was a great session for them, and [we talked about] when Patrick felt they should go out in the order one through four.”
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He added: “It wasn’t as much as putting Jordan and [Thomas] together as it was I really wanted Patrick and Tiger to be partners. I wanted that relationship.
“There was always the idea that we could go Tiger and [Thomas], and Patrick and Jordan, but ultimately they knew going into the week, weeks in advance, they knew they would start the Ryder Cup with Patrick and Tiger being partners.”
Over to you, Patrick…
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