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Jim Dandy
Shark.com Staff
December 4, 2006
Jim Furyk didn't win a major this year, so it couldn't be considered the best season of his pro career. That would have to be in 2003, when he won the U.S. Open and another PGA Tour event to earn $5.1 million.
But Furyk still found a way to make his 2006 season one of the most memorable, capping it Sunday by defending his title in the Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa. He didn't win a major this year, but he accomplished just about everything else he sought out to do.
 | | Furyk: "I've had a good year but will evaluate where I can improve." |
Sunday's two-shot victory over Henrik Stenson solidified Furyk's No. 2 world ranking, which is justified when you consider he was second on the PGA Tour's money list at $7.2 million after winning twice, finishing in the top-three nine times and in the top-10 more than half (13) of his 24 starts. He also won his first Vardon Trophy after Tiger Woods failed to play in the minimum number of rounds.
His latest win solidified Furyk's lead in the rankings over No. 3 Phil Mickelson by 1.69 points at 9.35. Of course, Furyk is a distant second to Woods, trailing him by 11.67 points. Furyk says No. 1 Woods is so far ahead of him in the rankings, he doesn't even consider the possibility of catching him in the near future.
"What's important to me is improving my game and getting better, whatever that ranking says," Furyk said. "Tiger is a very gifted and driven player and he'll be very difficult to catch on the rankings. It will take me a long time at my current level, which is my best level and his is still better, to catch him."
Still, Furyk's game has approached the level where Woods considered Furyk the player to beat in the recent PGA Grand Slam of Golf (where Woods won for the seventh time in eight tries).
"From May on, Jim's been on one unbelievable run," Woods said.
Actually, Furyk's run started in March when he was third at The Players Championship. The following month he was 22nd at the Masters, runner-up at Hilton Head and then won the Wachovia Championship. After failing to finish in the top 20 in his next three starts, Furyk really got going.
He was second at the U.S. Open (missing a short par putt at the 72nd hole that would have gotten him into a playoff), fourth at the Western and the British Open and second at the Buick Open. After a 29th at the PGA Championship, he was third at the Bridgestone Invitational, won the Canadian Open, was fourth at the American Express Championship and second at the Tour Championship.
 | | Furyk was ranked eighth on Tour in driving accuracy (73.8 percent) and putting, fourth in greens in regulation (70.7 percent), but 159th in driving distance (281.9). |
"I've had a good year but will evaluate where I can improve," Furyk, said. "My strengths are my driving and putting the ball in play off the tee. My weakness is my distance. I'm a very average length player and would like to increase my distance. But I don't want to do so at the expense of my other strengths. I think I've had a very well rounded year in terms of my game, and I've putted better than previous years.
Furyk, 36, may have that unconventional swing, but he has no weakness in his game other than his length. He was ranked eighth on the PGA Tour in 2006 in driving accuracy (73.8 percent) and putting, fourth in greens in regulation (70.7 percent), yet he's 159th in driving distance (281.9).
"Everyone out here respects the heck out of every aspect of Jim's game," pro Brad Faxon said. "He's a straight driver, he's an unbelievable putter and he's very determined. Everyone talks about his swing, but I think it's neat to have one of those homemade swings like Jim instead of coming out of a mold."
Yet Furyk is one of those players that consistently remains under the radar. An argument can be made that he's become this generation's Tom Kite: An extremely consistent player who doesn't get the attention he deserves from fans and the media.
And it doesn't bother Furyk one bit.
"It's never mattered," he said. "I'm happy with where I stand in the world of golf, and I'm happy with the way I've been playing. Whether or not I show up on TV every week versus Tiger or Phil or whoever it may be, is not important to me."
Furyk credits his mental game for his recent strong play. He doesn't believe he's hitting the ball that much better, but he keeps finding a way to turn bogeys into pars and pars into birdies. His scoring average of 69.45 was the lowest of his career.
"I've been working my way around the golf course and with my course management, I have just found a way to score every day," he said. "I haven't had maybe the best ball-striking streak, but I've just found a way to kind of keep the ball in play, scrape it out and get the ball up and down when I needed to and knock in a few putts."
| The Par Report is posted every Monday on Shark.com. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Greg Norman. |
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