Jim Furyk returns to home state in U.S. Senior Open title defense

Furyk expects a lot of good friends from all-around the point out to arrive observe him enjoy this 7 days. But that can be a double-edged sword.

“I stated at media day you can seem at it a pair diverse means,” Furyk explained. “Probably I put a good deal of pressure on myself and test much too hard most of the time anyway, so I will attempt not to — definitely seeking to play well at house in some cases can be difficult. I did it in (adopted hometown) Jacksonville for THE Gamers and hardly ever had a great deal of accomplishment there.

“You can glimpse at it two ways. You can actually get pleasure from the aid and the adore and being in your residence state, or you can place too a great deal tension on your self and have it go the other way. So I am going to probably attempt to genuinely get pleasure from the 7 days and have some enjoyable with it. I’ll possibly see some faces in the crowd that I will not get an possibility to see that normally.”

Furyk had plenty of entertaining in his rookie period of 2020-21 (an elongated a single due to the fact of COVID), when he finished in the major 25 in all 26 events he entered on PGA TOUR Champions, which includes 18 top-10s. But 2022 hasn’t been virtually as a great deal fun. In 9 starts, he has just a single prime-10, and that was in the minimal-discipline, season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai. In his previous four occasions, he has concluded T65, T68, T35 and 64th.

So the U.S. Senior Open up couldn’t get there at a far better time, because USGA majors extended have in shape with Furyk’s activity. In addition to his 2003 victory, he had six other best-five finishes and four other prime-20s. It’s the form of report handful of can boast when the fairways get restricted, the tough will get lengthy, and the greens get a lot quicker than a 10-handicap’s swing on the very first tee of a pro-am.

“I’ve shot some of my greatest scores in U.S. Opens as very well, but I feel when I’m playing very well, this design and style of golfing lends alone to my match,” Furyk said. “You know, hitting fairways, putting the ball in superior positions with iron perform, small sport, finding the ball up and down.

“U.S. Opens are held on sort of previous, historic golfing courses for the most part, Winged Foot and Pebble Beach and a spot like Saucon Valley. I grew up in the Northeast taking part in courses like that. It feels comfortable — I’m at house when I’m participating in the U.S. Open up. If grinding it out and making pars and capturing even par is a excellent score, I’m incredibly cozy with that.”