'Extremely harsh word...' Jim Furyk hits back at reporter on 'benching' Max Homa

Jim Furyk hit back at a reporter's claim that he had 'benched' Max Homa for the opening fourballs session at the Presidents Cup.

Furyk, 54, revealed his first-day fourballs pairings during a press conference at Royal Montreal GC in Canada on Wednesday.

There were a number of shock pairings confirmed by Furyk for the opening session, none bigger than his controversial call to split up best friends and customary pairing Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay.

Schauffele has been sent out with Tony Finau in the first match, while Cantlay joins Sam Burns in the final match.

Related: 

• Presidents Cup Thursday fourballs 
• 'They don't like each other...' Jim Furyk on shock pairing split at Presidents Cup

But with only 10 players on each team able to play in Thursday's five fourballs matches, it meant two players from both Team USA and the Internationals had to sit things out until Friday's five foursomes matches.

Homa, 33, was one of the American players who was not picked for the fourballs. 

He was joined on the bench by Brian Harman.

Many consider a Homa-Harman partnership could very much be on the cards for Friday's foursomes since they took two points from a possible three together at the 2023 Ryder Cup. 

The two players forced to sit out for Mike Weir's Internationals on day one are Mackenzie Hughes and Si Woo Kim. 

A number of golf fans consider Homa was the most fortunate of all of Furyk's six captain's picks to make the team earlier this month.

Furyk was put on full blast. 

Although Homa has excelled on the team stage in recent years, going undefeated at the 2022 Presidents Cup and 2023 Ryder Cup taking seven and half points from a possible nine, he has been badly out of form in recent months without a top-20 finish in his last 10 competitive starts.

So much so, Homa revealed on the eve of the Presidents Cup that he has split with his swing coach.

Even Homa knows his game has not been good enough to end the season. 

As a result of his poor play in 2024, the six-time PGA Tour winner has dropped from seventh to a current 25th in the world. 

One reporter wanted to get Furyk's take on why he had decided to 'bench' Homa for the opening session.

Only Furyk did not like his terminology.

"Putting him on the bench is an extremely harsh word," replied a stern-faced Furyk. 

"You've got to have two folks that don't play tomorrow. Max, I have a lot of confidence in his game. I have a lot of confidence in what he brings to our team, not only from a playing standpoint, but in the team room as well. 

"You're going to see him play a lot of golf this week."

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