Jim Furyk Wears 'That' 1999 Ryder Cup Shirt For USA Scouting Trip To Rome

Jim Furyk drew plenty of laughs from the current team when he donned the infamous USA 1999 Ryder Cup shirt on a recent scouting trip to Rome

Jim Furyk wears the 1999 Ryder Cup in Rome
(Image credit: @RyderCupUSA / Getty Images)

Jim Furyk stole the show at dinner during the Team USA scouting trip to Marco Simone in Rome ahead of the Ryder Cup - by breaking out 'that' infamous shirt from the 1999 event at Brookline.

The Ryder Cup is no fashion contest, perhaps these days it's better but in previous years there have been some particularly dodgy outfits worn by both teams.

In any list of Ryder Cup fashion faux pas the Team USA shirt from 1999 at Brookline will regularly come out on top.

The infamous burgundy creation has picture frames of previous USA winning teams and is largely labelled as a monstrosity - although it was worn during the hosts' epic comeback from 10-6 to stun Europe.

And in case any of the current USA crop had either forgotten or had wiped it from their memories, Furyk gave them a reminder by wearing 'The Shirt' - as it's just known in golfing circles - to dinner in Rome.

Furyk drew plenty of laughs for pulling out the famous shirt, but also took a lot of credit, for not only still being able to fit in it after all these years, but also having the confidence to wear it in a crowded Rome.

"It’s awesome," USA captain Zach Johnson told Sirius XFM PGA Tour Radio. "It’s so special. 

"He texted me and asked 'what do you think?' And I said ‘buddy, if there's ever a place and time to wear that thing it's now’.

"I wasn’t on that team but boy, as an American golfer and as a guy who watched every second you remember those shirts and that team and what happened. I love seeing it."

Paul Higham
Contributor

Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website.  Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush.