Jim Furyk could not have asked for a more enjoyable day at East Lake - on and off the golf course.

It started with writing seven 3s on his scorecard to start the round, which eventually added to a 29 on the front nine. And despite missing a 5-foot par putt on the final hole that caused him to slam his yardage book onto the table in the scoring trailer, he still had a 6-under 64 and a one-shot lead in the Tour Championship.

More fun followed when he walked into the press center, and the Ryder Cup was among the first topics.

In some corners, there is a feeling that Furyk should not have been a captain's pick for the Ryder Cup. Even though he has qualified for every US team - Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup - since 1997, he is the only American on this year's squad that has not won this year.

Furyk does not know who is criticizing the selection, nor does he care. But he was more than happy to talk about it.

"I was so hoping someone would ask me that," he said.

What followed was a defense of himself as a player and the teammates he'll have around him next week at Medinah. The eight players who qualified all had a voice in the selections of captain Davis Love III. And the fact Furyk, who was 11th in the standings, was a sure pick made it clear to him that players wanted him on the team and that was all that mattered to him.

"Look at the way I play golf - the way I swing the golf club and grip the putter," he said. "Look at the way I go about my business. I don't hit the ball very far. I'm short. If I really cared what the critics thought the last 19 years, I really wouldn't be here. ... My teammates know that I'm going to give 110 percent. They know I have a lot of heart. I have a lot of grit, and that's what I'm going to do."

All he cares about is winning the Tour Championship, with an outside shot at the FedEx Cup title and its $10 million bonus. Furyk was at 7-under 133, giving him a one-shot lead over Justin Rose.

Rose, who shared the 18-hole lead with Tiger Woods, made four birdies on the back nine and holed a 6-foot birdie putt on the 18th for a 68.

(China Daily 09/23/2012 page7)