LOUISVILLE, Ky. — US Ryder Cup captain Jim Furyk said Saturday that Justin Leonard and Stewart Cink will be his two assistants at the 2027 Games at Adare Manor in Ireland.
Furyk announced the selection for the Kentucky Derby. Both were considered as captains, and their appointment may indicate that he will be the captain of the future.
Leonard played in three Ryder Cups — two of which were won in the US — and is best known for his 45-foot birdie putt at The Country Club in 1999 that capped the Americans’ comeback against Europe.
This is Leonard’s first Ryder Cup assistant. He was an assistant under Furyk at the 2024 President’s Cup and Furyk called him “my right-hand man.”
“He’s the most organized, meticulous person I know,” Furyk said. “So, when I got the job, the first guy I called was Justin Leonard.”
Cink has played on five consecutive US teams, including part of the US’s 2008 victory at Valhalla. He was Zach Johnson’s assistant captain in Italy 2023, a stunning European victory.
Europe has won twice before. Luke Donald returns as captain and will try to become the first to win three consecutive Ryder Cups.
Furyk played in his first Ryder Cup in 1997 and has been a part of every team as a player, assistant or captain since then. This will be his second time as American captain, having been on the losing side in Paris in 2018.
The Americans have not won the Ryder Cup away from home since 1993.
