Jim Furyk makes stunning admission about Bethpage greens at Ryder Cup

Bethpage Black? More like Bethpage Bland. 

The Ryder Cup venue promised fire and fury, but instead served up gluey greens and barely any rough – and Jim Furyk isn’t having it.

Keegan Bradley's vice captain Furyk, 55, has revealed Team USA were told the greens would be lightning quick at 12.5 on the stimpmeter. 

But when the players got out there, doubts spread fast – the surfaces just weren’t rolling anywhere near the promised speed.

Then again, if USA had played the course as much as the Europeans on the eve of the Ryder Cup they might have already realised...

Speaking at his own Constellation Furyk & Friends tournament on the PGA Tour Champions, the 55-year-old didn’t hold back in his asssessment of the Ryder Cup venue. 

"We were told that they were 12 and a half on the stimp," said Furyk.

"I think that was the request. 

"We were told that they stimped out that in the morning. 

"Our players one by one didn't think they reached that."

Furyk himself couldn’t test them as Ryder Cup rules ban vice captains from hitting putts.

But the verdict from inside the United States camp was scathing.

And it wasn’t just about speed. 

The greens were soft, spongey, and a long way from the fiery test Bradley demanded.

Furyk continued: "I didn't have a stimp in my hand to actually confirm it, nor was I allowed to hit a putt as a vice captain. That's a rule. So I can't tell you because I didn't get to hit a putt. I wish I would have though.

"Guys had a hard time getting putts to the hole and it did appear to be a little gluey. 

"I think the request was always there to set the golf course up with less rough, but I think also believing that the greens would be firmer. 

"I know we got some rain mid week but they were really, really soft when we arrived. 

"So that probably is an issue a little bit. It's not how we were looking at the golf course."

Furyk's assessment likely explains USA's lethargic start to the 2025 Ryder Cup.

They had an opening two days to forget, which ultimately cost them the biennial contest. 

Luke Donald's Europe stormed into a commanding seven-point lead after the foursomes and fourballs on Friday and Saturday.

USA rallied strongly in the Sunday singles, but it was too little too late as they ended up being defeated 15-13. 

It marked the first away win at the Ryder Cup since Medinah in 2012.

Donald also became the first captain since Tony Jacklin in 1989 to win two Ryder Cups on the bounce.

Both Donald and Bradley are favourites to remain captains of their teams at Adare Manor in Ireland in 2027. 

GolfMagic has today predicted what we think the teams will be in two years time. 

Furyk acted as one of five vice captains on Bradley's 2025 US Ryder Cup team.

He was joined by Webb Simpson, Brandt Snedeker, Kevin Kisner and Gary Woodland.

Furyk captained the US Ryder Cup team at Le Golf National in France in 2018.

USA were crushed by seven points that week (17.5-10.5) by Thomas Bjorn's Europe. 

Furyk's Constellation Furyk & Friends got underway on Friday at Timuquana Country Club.