Jim Furyk answers the questions you need to know about his upcoming Presidents Cup captain's picks

Jim Furyk knows from experience as the 2018 U.S. Ryder Cup team that the captain's picks might be the most crucial decision he makes in determining the success of the U.S. side in the biennial competition against Team International. His four picks in 2018 didn't pan out, going a combined 2-10-0 with Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods getting shut out.

This time around as the U.S. Presidents Cup captain, Furyk gets to make six picks -- the first six were automatic selections -- and will announce the remaining members of his 12-man team on Sunday, Sept. 4. With one last week to see the top candidates in action, Golfweek chatted with Furyk to discuss his thoughts on Keegan Bradley's victory at the BMW Championship, what he's looking for in choosing his captain's picks and if there's a role in store for Tiger Woods.

Furyk is holding his cards close to his chest. He wouldn't even reveal who he prefers as the starting quarterback for his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers, only saying of Russell Wilson, "It's his job to lose." Furyk's job is to win the Presidents Cup, which is being contested at Royal Montreal in Canada from Sept. 26-29, and he's got some tough decisions to make that could make or break Team USA's chances.

Did Keegan Bradley make your job easier or harder by winning the BMW Championship last week?

JF: In the back of my mind, I feel like for symmetry, for us, for the U.S. side with the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup every year it's great to kind of bring the next captain on. So, you know, I didn't know exactly who that person was going to be. I felt like, you know, you had great selections and choices out there, but when Keegan was named, I definitely wanted to reach out and obviously it's usually not just someone that's like vying to make your team that's kind of a new one for me.

I think it was a very natural move. You know, he's played on some of these teams before. He's got some experience, but he's never been in that team room as a captain and so I wanted to give him that experience. We've been friends for a long time. You know, I think he brings a lot of excitement, right. You can see the passion in Keegan's eyes. You can hear it in his voice, whether it's about a Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup or just on a daily basis. He brings a lot of energy and so, you know, I think when you kind of round out your team, all your captains kind of have a role and a position and I think for him I expect it'll be a learning experience for him but he brings a lot to the table he knows these guys he's playing not only week in and week out as he playing out on PGA Tour he's playing an extremely high level and he's playing with these guys quite often so he knows their games very well and he brings a lot to the table for our team.

He definitely made a statement last week. Jumped to No. 10 (in the point standings), raised some eyebrows. When he was named Ryder Cup, he was in the top 20 in our points. I said to him then, 'First and foremost I know you’re a player and you want to make these teams and I know how much they mean to you.'

He said, 'No matter what happens I’m super-excited to be an assistant captain, this is going to help me out so much for next year. I love being part of these teams. I’m 150 percent in and I’m ready to go.' I told him, 'When we’re in discussion and talking about picks we’re not going to talk about you in front of you, that’s not fair.' He’s been great. He’s made my job easy.

GWK: When you were captain of the U.S. Ryder Cup team in 2018, he won the BMW Championship but didn't get a pick. Anything we should read into that?

JF: We'd have to look it up but he was much farther down the list in 2018, not as solid a year, he’s 11 in the world right now with three wins. When I look at picks, I’m looking at a body of work, who is playing well now, who has a style of game that fits Royal Montreal and looking at pairings. There’s a lot of pieces to the puzzle.

Keegan checks a lot of boxes. He makes it clear how much he loves these matches.

GWK: Is your mind made up on your six guys or are people still auditioning this week at the Tour Championship?

JF: I think a lot of the pieces of the puzzle are coming together. The picture is becoming a lot more clear. It doesn’t mean that someone won’t come from out of the picture and make it more fuzzy again. But it’s starting to get more clear.

Twenty years ago, I think we were always trying to pick like we gotta have the 12 best guys on the team. I think we're trying to create the best possible 12 as a whole as a group and who fits that mold.

GWK: What's the one thing that you learned from 2018 in terms of picking players that you think you'll do differently this time?

JF: I think the big choice I had in '18 was really guys in present form that were playing very well and also horses for courses, right, but look back at ‘18, Thomas Bjorn did a good job of picking some guys that had some veteran status and probably fit that golf course very, very well. You know, I think having an indication of what Mike wants to do to Royal Montreal and how he wants to set the golf course up, I think that becomes very, very instrumental in my picks as well.

As far as I know, a tight golf course. Heavy rough sounds like getting the ball in the fairway is gonna be key for that golf course. I didn't quite see that when I was up there, you know, two or three weeks ago.

The rough wasn't tremendously penal yet, but I'm told that that's what I probably should expect. That final decision will be made here soon, before we make our picks.

So, you know, I think, guys that fit the golf course. If I didn't mention that earlier, becomes very instrumental and that was my tough decision. I think in 2018, you know what we play on a weekly basis is on the PGA Tour is a little bit more let it fly and go find it and hitting the ball in the rough isn't that big of a penalty and with how far these guys hit it. Yet with how they obviously set up Le Golf National in 2018, extremely penal, extremely high rough.

You had to place the ball in the fairways. You had to limit your clubs off the tee and it basically just pushed everyone to the same point in the fairway and then it became kind of an iron-playing type competition.

So what did I learn from the picks back then? I guess you have decisions to be made and so I’m trying to put that puzzle together as best as I can.

GWK: Is there going to be a role for Tiger with the team?

JF: I'll reach out to Tiger. I think we all kind of expected that he was going to be named Ryder Cup captain and when that didn't happen, I know he's got his plate full with the PGA Tour and working on our board, which seems to be a lot of work at the moment.

So I'll reach out, say hello. You know, I know he's got some great strategy. He's got some great stuff with pairings, but as of yet I haven't reached out.

GWK: If Bradley plays, will you name a replacement as an assistant captain?

JF: I have only named four assistant captains and I’m allowed five. So, I still have one more to name and I have a pretty good idea who'll that be. (As for replacing Keegan), that’s a road we’ll cross when I get there. We’ll wait and see who the picks are. Let’s not put the cart before the horse. I’ve got a plan of what I want to do, I just don’t want to talk about it that in-depth, how’s that?

This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Jim Furyk answers the questions you need to know about his upcoming Presidents Cup captain's picks