Interview: Jim Furyk
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Jim Furyk: Best Open finish: 4th, 1997, 2006
What’s your favourite part of Open week?
It’s definitely not the weather! I like links golf and I think the history as the oldest Major championship puts it near the top of almost every player’s list.
What do you make of links golf?
If I had to play golf like that every day of the year, I might not play the damn game! But to do it for a week it’s fun. I’ll say they are some tough folks to play golf in those conditions.
How do you prepare for it?
I used to arrive Saturday morning, but now my family goes somewhere for a couple of days in Europe. Wherever I don’t have to take a connecting flight, that’s where we visit. Because I don’t want to lose my sticks – there’s too many guys that do every year.
Do you know much about Hoylake?
I like the golf course, I played well there last time and I finished fourth. It was really dry and firm. It played short. That may not be the case if we get a lot of rain and it’s wet, it could be a completely different golf course. I think it’s one of the underrated courses in the rota.
If it’s hard and fast will you scale back on driver like Tiger did in 2006?
Tiger hits his 2-iron as far as I hit my 3-wood, so I hit a lot of 3-woods. I don’t know if scaling back is the right word, but it makes you put the ball in certain places, which I like.
What do you make of British food and drink?
There’s always a curry restaurant, or a Chinese. So honestly when I think of going to Scotland or England, I think of Indian and Chinese food for some reason!
Does the time difference affect you?
The more you do it the easier it gets. Even though I’m getting older, you’re going to feel like crap for three days, so you’ve just got to fight through it, be active and keep moving.
What do you make of British fans?
They have been very friendly to me and I enjoy playing in front of them.
