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Jim Furyk is known for his excellent short game, consistency, and for being one
of the PGA Tour's true "nice guys." But more than that, he's known for a very
unorthodox swing.
It's a swing that doesn't produce great power, but does yield great accuracy
off the tee. It's been described as a looping swing, one in which Furyk takes
the club back very steeply and very high, then severely reroutes on the way back
down.
Golf broadcaster David Feherty famously said that Furyk's swing resembles "an
octopus falling out of a tree." Another commentator, Gary McCord, said it looked
like Furyk was trying to swing inside a phone booth.
Whatever it looks like, it works: Furyk is double-digit winner on the PGA
Tour, including one major championship.
He learned his unorthodox swing from his father, Mike, a club pro at
Uniontown Country Club near Pittsburgh. Furyk also started putting crosshanded
at a very young age and has always putter that way - also with excellent
results.
In high school, Furyk won the Pennsylvania state golf title and also played
basketball. He attended the University of Arizona, where he was a two-time
All-America selection.
Furyk turned pro in 1992 and played the Nationwide Tour in 1993, winning once
and finishing 26th on the money list. He earned his Tour card at Q-School and
1994 was his rookie season on the PGA Tour.
His first PGA Tour win came at the 1995 Las Vegas Invitational, a tournament
that was the site of three of his first four tour victories.
Furyk's first
big-money year was 1997; he didn't win a tournament that year, but did finish
fourth on the money list.
He's been very consistent since then, finishing third on the money list in
1998, second in 2006, and never outside the Top 20 when playing a full year.
Furyk's first major championship win was at the 2003 U.S. Open at Olympia
Fields in Chicago, where he set a 36-hole scoring record (133), a 54-hole record
(200), and tied the 72-hole record (272).
An injured wrist required surgery at the start of 2004 and Furyk missed the
first half of the season (his only year outside of the Top 20 in money since
1996). But he got back on track by winning the Western Open in 2005.
Furyks' best season to date was 2006, when he won twice, posted 14 Top 10s,
finished second in money and won the Vardon Trophy for low scoring average. He
also reached No. 2 in the world rankings that year.
Career Wins
Sep2010 - The Tour Championship
Apr 2010 - Verizon Heritage
Mar 2010 - Transitions Championship
Jul 2007 - Canadian Open
Sep 2006 - Canadian Open
May 2006 - Wachovia Championship
Jul 2005 - Cialis Western Open
Aug 2003 - Buick Open
Jun 2003 - U.S. Open
May 2002 - Memorial Tournament