Jim Furyk on the mend after having hip replacement surgery in April

DUBLIN, Ohio — Tax Day, April 15, usually is painful for most Americans. For Jim Furyk, it was a day of relief.

The former U.S. Open champion underwent hip replacement surgery in Jacksonville, Fla., on that day, and he was walking around without pain Wednesday at Muirfield Village Golf Club, where he serves as a member of the Captains Club for Jack Nicklaus’ Memorial Tournament.

“I didn’t want to wait too long, but I almost did,” Furyk, 55, said about his right hip that has been bothering him for a couple of years. “It wasn’t just my hip, but my back was hurting because of it. Obviously, I couldn’t play golf like I wanted to.”

Winner of 17 PGA Tour titles and three on the PGA Tour Champions—all in 2020, including the U.S. Senior Open—Furyk has not played competitively since his own Champions event, the Constellation Furyk & Friends at Timuquana Country Club in Jacksonville in early October. He battled through 12 starts last year and posted just one top-25 finish. The year prior he had one top-10 finish and three top-25s.

Furyk said he is targeting a return in late August at the Ally Challenge (Ally is one of his sponsors). The event is Aug. 22-24 at Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club in Grand Blanc, Mich., site of his 2003 win in the Buick Open on the PGA Tour.

“Hopefully, I’ll be ready before that, but we’ll see,” said Furyk, who served as winning captain for the U.S. Presidents Cup team last fall. “I’ve been struggling. I was having a hard time, and I’m just looking for better movement to play my best again.”