Written by Staff Writer
When you think of the best golfers in the world, Jim Furyk isn’t usually the first name that springs to mind. After all, he doesn’t look like an athlete.
He’s 5ft 9in, a couple of stone smaller than modern boxers, and his knees sport big, bald patches which look like they were scraped away by a man using a pocket claw.
But over the past few years, Furyk has climbed his way up the rankings, collecting 11 major titles and being named PGA Player of the Year in 2013 and 2015.
And if you ask his colleagues and the game’s key figures, they’ll all point to Furyk as the true definition of golf’s outstanding talent.
“We’ve all got our own story about him. I call him the ‘Rain Man of golf,'” said Ryder Cup legend Ian Woosnam.
Lachlan Collier, creator of Golf Digest, was even more emphatic.
“Jim Furyk is one of the most compelling and unconventional golfers ever seen on a professional tour.”
He’s been that good too: throughout his career he’s never won more than two times in a year, but that average is now sat at a healthy six victories per season.
And just a small part of that success has been down to his unorthodox style.
Furyk’s journey to the top has been anything but conventional
“He’s a lot like a businessman. He’s an extremely driven man. He works harder than anyone I’ve ever met. I might play a round with him and play maybe 10 holes of golf and before I leave, he’s already mapped out the rest of the week for me — he has a timeline,” said Woosnam.
He also has his every word down as well as his every swing.
“At the start of the practice day, Jim starts going through each putt over and over again. The putter finishes with a different kick after every putt,” said Woosnam.
“And from an individual player’s point of view, he has never complained and he’s never complained about conditions. In a sense, he has even relished the elements.”
