Jim Furyk shares Xander Schauffele loves giving Scottie Scheffler a “hard time” as ‘player of the year’ battle ignites

Jim Furyk recently praised Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele for their outstanding seasons, noting that the PGA Tour's Player of the Year race could become even more intriguing if Schauffele were to win the FedEx Cup.

Furyk, a 17-time winner on the PGA Tour, won both the FedEx Cup and the Player of the Year award in 2010. This year, Scheffler and Schauffele are both in contention for these titles after having remarkable seasons.

On Monday, August 19, Furyk attended the media day for Constellation Furyk & Friends, a Senior Tour event hosted by veterans. During the press conference, he was asked about his thoughts on the Player of the Year race between Scheffler and Schauffele.

"Especially if Xander went on to win the FedExCup, then I think it becomes a really difficult decision," he said. "But the year that both of those guys have had is absolutely incredible."

"I think Scottie had six wins that included a Players and a major championship, which is a career for some people. He did that in a half a year, if that makes sense. The level he's playing at is unprecedented," he added.

Furyk then spoke about Scheffler's putter change, which significantly improved his results.

"He's changed putters and he's kind of rolling the ball really well right now," he continued. "Xander was poking at him a little bit at a dinner, we really love that old putter you putted with. We like that one a lot better, giving him a hard time."

The US Presidents Cup captain also praised the camaraderie among the current players, despite their fierce rivalry on the field. He expressed his amazement at how much time today's players spend together, even amidst the competitiveness.

"The folks from the PGA Tour that were over in Paris with them said those four," he continued. "The four Americans that were on the team, were inseparable. They said every practice round, the support they gave each other, the help they gave each other, hung out at night. He said it was amazing how much time they spent together."

"As a captain, those are the things you want to hear. I'm beaming from ear to ear when I hear stuff like that," he concluded.

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Is Jim Furyk playing at the BMW Championship?

Jim Furyk is not competing in the BMW Championship as he primarily plays on the Senior Tour and, therefore, hasn't qualified for the Playoffs.

In the PGA Tour Champions this season, Jim Furyk made the cut in all 10 of his starts but failed to achieve a top-10 finish. His best result this season was a T18 finish at the Principal Charity Classic.

Jim Furyk is set to lead Team USA at the Presidents Cup later this year. The 2024 Presidents Cup will take place from September 24-29 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.