Junior Ryder Cup Teammate Wilson Furr Draws Fans from Minnesota and Mississippi
On Sunday the United States reclaimed the Ryder Cup title. While that victory was special, the Ryder Cup now means something special for Jackson, and, especially, for Jackson Academy. JA senior, Wilson Furr, played on the winning U.S. team in the Junior Ryder Cup held prior to the Ryder Cup.
“It is such a pleasure to coach a young man like Wilson, who excels in a sport he loves and also exemplifies the qualities of good sportsmanship and camaraderie valued in the game of golf,” said Ronnie Rogers, former JA golf coach. “We couldn’t be more proud of the way Wilson represented Jackson Academy and the state of Mississippi in the Junior Ryder Cup.” JA’s team will be coached by Rob Triplett in the upcoming season, while Coach Rogers will assist with tennis.
The competition between the U.S. and Europe includes the “top boys and girls from both sides of the Atlantic” according to the Ryder Cup website. U.S. Captain Jim Remy noted in the opening ceremonies: “These are the future Tour players; the future best players in the world.”
“It was incredible to be able to represent the USA,” said Wilson about being a part of the Junior Ryder Cup team. “It really doesn’t get any better than that.” Wilson was 2-1 in his three matches.
Besides having a loyal following from his school and home state, Wilson also developed an unexpected fan club. Kids from a PGA Junior League team who were present to watch Junior Ryder Cup members made a connection with Wilson. They began cheering for Wilson and ultimately acquired the name the Furrballs.
“They were awesome,” said Wilson. “They saw me hitting balls on the range, and I guess took a liking to me. They followed me around the whole day cheering for me. It was really neat.” Golfweek wrote a story about Wilson and the Furrballs, who posed for pictures and requested autographs from Wilson.
Wilson has committed to play for the University of Alabama. He hopes to have a PGA Tour in his future and doesn’t rule out hopes for a spot on a professional Ryder Cup team one day. “If that experience doesn’t give you more motivation to be on the Ryder Cup team, I don’t know what would!” he said.
For more about the Junior Ryder Cup, see the links below:
| golfweek.com | rydercup.com | rydercup.com |
