Jim Furyk knows his biggest issue in leading a group of American ‘underdogs’ to a Ryder Cup victory on the road. But what is the US captain’s plan to fix it?

“It’s no secret that foursomes has been a glaring problem. I mean, it’s pretty glaring that we’re not prepared for that format.”

It was back in May, during his first media round of his second stint as captain, that Jim Furyk finally diagnosed America’s major deficiency ahead of next year’s Ryder Cup. Prior to the Presidents Cup, the US were 6-19 in the alternate shot format in their past three team matches.

But then things somehow got even worse. With Furyk one of his assistants, Brandt Snedeker presided over a 7-2 defeat to the Internationals in foursomes last month, which included a galling 5-0 whitewash.

The US left Medinah with the cup but also the din of another large headache as their fumbling foursomes record extended to 8-26. A dishevelled Snedeker pointed the finger firmly at himself and his own selections. But Furyk, who lost 6-2 in foursomes as skipper in Paris in 2018, knows he can no longer escape the obvious ahead of another unenviable task on the road.

“It’s not an anomaly,” he conceded at a ‘Year to Go’ press conference on Tuesday at Adare Manor, where he planted his side as firm ‘underdogs’ for the duel against Luke Donald’s Europe.

“There’s some issues. We understand that. Not something I’m very happy with. I plan on making some changes. I would say, one, as captains, we need to do a better job, not only put the folks into good pairings in good positions but I don’t think we are preparing for those matches in a proper way.”

Furyk then turned defiant.

“I will promise you, we will be prepared,” he insisted. “I’m going to ask this team to do more than any other United States team has in the past.

“We’ll be prepared. We’ll be ready to go in that format, and hopefully we can showcase our talent. We have too much depth to have that poor record in alternate-shot.”

Furyk reiterates that foursomes, worth eight of the 28 Ryder Cup points, is in the forefront of his mind and “we need to practise it a lot more”. But what does that preparation actually look like in practice?

In the resounding defeat at Le Golf National eight years ago, only half of the American players had previously visited the golf course. Furyk’s plan for a reconnaissance trip to France ultimately backfired because his players weren’t fully invested.

The lack of team buy-in was highlighted by then rookie Justin Thomas, who claimed four of the side’s 11.5 points after being the only American to play in that year’s Open de France at the same venue.

But ahead of a planned scouting mission Ireland to next summer, Furyk is laying a marker down.

“To absolutely be here at Adare Manor next summer would be first and foremost,” he said of his expectations as captain. “But I think a lot of it is in preparation. It’s in the lead up. It’s the veteran players taking the younger players under their wing. It’s looking at this not a group of 12, but a Team USA, a larger group, a program that we can build for the future and leaning on some veterans to lead the way.

“We’ve got a number of really talented, young American players that are going to give them a run for a spot on this team. So it’s exciting for me as a captain and I’m looking forward to that process.”

Furyk was asked whether his six wildcard selections could hinge on whether his players have committed to an Adare Manor scouting trip.

“We have guys coming over for both the Scottish and The Open Championship,” he explained. “The ask will be out there and I expect everyone to make their best effort to be here. Things come up. Family obligations, whatever it may be.

“But I do expect a lot of folks to be here and onsite, and I’m looking forward to it. I want them to see the golf course. We had a pretty good turnout back in ’18, as well, for Le Golf National in the summer. But I’m looking for a bigger outturn this time.”

Fortunately for Furyk in his bid to end 34 years of travel sickness on the road, the Stars and Stripes tend to be as scintillating at singles as well as they are floundering in foursomes. At last year’s Ryder Cup, the home team claimed nine of the 12 points as they threatened an outrageous comeback. In the Presidents Cup, they have been similarly dominant in the head-to-head showdowns.

But, Furyk says, “you have to look to the first four sessions in both events and realise, seven points down at Bethpage, you’re digging too deep of a hole”.

He added: “I don’t care how well you play on Sunday. And again we’ll go back to the glaring weaknesses, really, mostly in alternate-shot. We did get beat in fourball at Bethpage. But recently, the last four years, it’s been alternate-shot. That’s our focus.

“But the team play, we need to do a better job.”

Furyk is clearly keen shift the narrative and alleviate the pressure but any notion that the Americans are dark horses will be baulked at inside the European locker room. Donald has used the siege mentality of being underdogs in his previous two wins and will surely use the same approach at Adare Manor.

So bizarrely both teams appear to be claiming that status in Limerick.

“We always want to prove something to ourselves, to the rest of the world,” said Donald. “We understand that being at hmoe is an advantage but we also know that the US are very strong.”