Jim Furyk understands his Ryder Cup assignment

Throwing that structure away with the Keegan Bradley was a foreseeable disaster, and contrary to my expectations, Furyk addressed that captaincy directly.

"We brought Keegan in even later than this last year," he said. He had less than 18 months to prepare. And that's a guy who never even served as vice captain ... I think we could have put Keegan in a much better position last year."

Yes, precisely. Furyk's awareness of that mistake, and his emphasis on continuity, represents a heartening throwback to the last time there was optimism in the U.S. system.

On the question of analytics, he pushed back aggressively on the notion that it was a secondary concern for the Americans, and while he seemed to signal uncertainty as to whether Scouts Consulting would return for Adare Manor—he said the decision would come in the next month—he didn't sound like the numbers-skeptics whose disdain has seen America fall well behind Edoardo Molinari and the European analytics crew, and he acknowledged the need to study the implementation of the data—the "application" that takes it from a computer screen to real-life partnerships, and playing order, and pin and tee placements, and fairway widths, and rough heights, and etc.

Furyk, who turned 56 on Tuesday, said he planned to make three trips to Ireland this year, and in a small huddle afterward he said he'd be a fixture at PGA Tour events (up to 12 in 2027), and will continue the practice of using PGA Tour groups to place potential future pairings together, but would not be taking a spot in the field the way previous captains have done. The player stipend will continue, and a new points system designed to fix the problem with wildly varying purses will be implemented later this year.

He also pointed to Paul Azinger as a captain who had a special ability to get his players to buy into the team's success long before the Cup took place, and that a massive part of his own job was fostering that buy-in. On the topic of team composition, he spoke at length about what went wrong with this captain's picks in Paris (Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and Bryson DeChambeau combined for an 0-9 record), and that he'd be "more prepared and willing" to make hard decisions if faced with similar choices in Ireland.

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Andrew Redington

In short, if you're someone like me who believes the American team has veered from a philosophy of continuity that gives them their only shot to compete with the Europeans in the decades to come, Furyk's commens were a breath of fresh air. He has a sense of history, a sense of his own side's mistakes, and, in my opinion, a sense of what needs to change.

And now, a splash of cold water: Furyk's press conference ended with a glance to the European team, and the work already underway at Adare courtesy of Luke Donald and his team.

"I know there's already been some changes made to grassing and rough lines so that they have some options on setup," he said.

It's a small detail, but it's also an ominous one when looked at in the context of Europe's formidable machine. They're already laying the groundwork for subtle course changes they might want to take 18 months from now, and when it comes to Donald's obsessive preparation, this is undoubtedly just the tip of the iceberg.

It lays bare a truth that Furyk will have to face throughout his captaincy: No matter how hard he tries, and how much he improves, he will be up against arguably the most motivated team in professional sports, and the Europeans will be determined to try harder and to improve more. And they'll be at home.

This is why I've called Furyk's captaincy a rebuilding project, and to some extent a noble sacrifice on his part—it is highly unlikely the Americans will win at Adare Manor, he may end up as the only 0-2 captain in U.S. Ryder Cup history, and the work he puts in may not bear fruit for years ... and when it does, nobody will think to give him the credit.

But he won't be thinking that way between now and Adare Manor; he'll be out to win. And though the road to doing so is long and steep, the messages he sent on Wednesday gave every indication that he understands the assignment, is ready to address the shortcomings of the past, has the mandate to implement his vision, and can push the Americans toward their eventual dawn.