Is J.B. Holmes Really the Best Replacement for Jim Furyk in the Presidents Cup?
By Matt Cochran
Jim Furyk has played well enough to earn a spot on the Presidents Cup team for the U.S., but uncertainty surrounding Furyk looms. Jimmy has been battling a wrist injury dating back to the Deutsche Bank Championship. The injury caused him to withdraw from the BMW Championship after six-holes and miss the TOUR Championship. It was Furyk’s first withdrawal on the PGA TOUR in 20 years.
“I don’t think it’s quite where he wants it to be, but he’s doing everything he can to be there.” -U.S. Captain Jay Haas
The United States is preparing for the Presidents Cup which takes place next week in Seoul, South Korea, but Furyk just announced that he will be unable to make it. With him unable to play, captain Jay Haas has decided to go with J.B. Holmes as his replacement.
It will be difficult to replace a guy who has played in seven Presidents Cups and has as much experience as Furyk has, but Haas says his replacement ready to go. “He has plane reservations, his clothing is being readied,” Haas said.
J.B. Holmes has experience in this team format, playing in the 2008 Ryder Cup, which will be important to replace a guy like Jim Furyk, but I think there is a different route to take rather than going with Holmes.
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There’s plenty of experience on Team U.S. even if Furyk is off the roster. The experience is there with guys like Phil Mickelson, Zach Johnson, Matt Kuchar, and Bill Hass. Rather than going with a more experienced golfer, maybe the route to take is for a younger candidate. A guy by the name of Brooks Koepka. Koepka was a potential captain’s pick before Furyk’s injury concerns, but it ultimately ended up going to Jay Haas’ son, Bill.
Before you go writing off the youthful option, just take a look back at the 2014 Ryder Cup. Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed made the team as rookies with zero Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup experience. They also turned out the be the most successful pairing on Team USA.
The younger guys bring the spark that is needed to be successful in these team competitions. Not only can Koepka bring that with him, but he has the game to back it up.
Koepka is one of the longest hitter on TOUR coming in ranked at 8th. He’s first in eagles made this season and is one of the leaders in greens in regulation and strokes gained putting, ranking ahead of J.B. Holmes in both categories.
Brooks has also spent a decent amount of time playing on the European Tour, making him no stranger to international players or the international environment.
A stat the PGA TOUR uses is “All-Around Ranking” which takes in account several statistics and the amount of events a golfer has played in. Brooks Koepka is currently 6th while J.B. Holmes ranks 31st. Holmes may have had the best results in the most recent tournaments, but Koepka is the better option. Koepka will most likely be a choice for the Ryder Cup next year, so it’d be smart to add him to the Presidents Cup so he can get his feet wet.
While Furyk won’t be able to play in South Korea next week, he will still travel with the team and serve as an assistant captain alongside Jay Haas. Hopefully his presence will be enough to inspire the team to another Presidents Cup victory.