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Jim Furyk spent much of the weekend in the lead at the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Florida. After Sunday’s Round 4, Furyk finished in second place, losing to Rory McIlory by one stroke. After finishing up on the 18th hole, Furyk left the green and was greeted by his wife, Tabitha, who was standing in the gallery.
Tabitha Furyk has been a huge supporter of her husband and has been spotted at various tournaments and events for nearly two decades.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. She Was Beyond Thrilled When Her Husband Won the Payne Stewart Award & Has Supported Him Every Step of the Way
Tabitha has been a huge supporter of her husband’s career and has been by his side every step of the way.
In 2016, for example, she was beyond thrilled when her husband was awarded the Payne Stewart Award. She sat down for an interview with the Golf Channel at the time and told the network just how much of an honor the award was for her husband.
Unsurprisingly, Jim thanked Tabitha for her support and for the work she has done with their foundation (which you can read about in Fact 5) in his acceptance speech.
2. She & Jim Got Engaged During the U.S. Open in 2000
Tabitha met Jim at the Memorial at Muirfield. Jim recalled the moment that he met his now-wife in an interview with Golf Digest.
“I was a second-year player on the PGA Tour, Tabitha worked at Muirfield Realty, right next to where we played the Memorial at Muirfield. Her boss at the time was a gentleman by the name of Ray Hustek, who took the week off of work to do a radio show called ‘Mr. Golf.’ And he would cut into the show with an update of something going on at the tournament every 20 minutes. I walked off the green [after my round] and was goofing around with some kids and Tabitha caught my eye, so I said hello to her. I was a little shy about going up and talking to her. Then Ray came up to interview me. So the whole [time] he was [interviewing] me. I kind of positioned myself so that I could keep checking her out. And [Ray] noticed, and he’s the one that ended up kind of introducing us and getting us started,” Jim told Golf Digest in 2014.
The two started dating and eventually fell in love. One night in 2000, Tabitha and Jim had finished dinner and were walking on the beach (at Pebble Beach during the U.S. Open) when Jim got down on one knee in a super-romantic beach proposal.
“Going back to Pebble Beach every year is really a special occasion for us,” Tabitha told SiriusXM’s PGA Tour radio.
3. She Has 2 Children With Jim
Happy St. Patrick’s day!
Tabitha and Jim are proud parents to two children.
Tabitha gave birth to the couple’s daughter Caleigh Lynn in 2002, just two years after she married Jim. Two years later, the couple welcomed their son, Tanner.
Although the kids are growing up fast, they often spend time together as a family, going on various outings together, as evidenced by a few photos on Tabitha’s Twitter page.
4. She’s Not Active on Social Media
Dinner in Versailles Palace…hard to top! Thank you to PGA of America, Ryder Cup Europe, Thomas & Grace for a memorable evening!
Although Tabitha does have a Twitter account, she’s not active on social media. In 2017, she tweeted fairly frequently, often sharing photos of her and her husband on and off the golf course.
In 2018, Tabitha only tweeted once. She wrote a “thank you” for the hospitality at the Ryder Cup in France. You can see the tweet below.
“Congratulations @RyderCupEurope and thank you to Thomas and Grace for hosting us in France! To @RyderCupUSA , I know it wasn’t the ending we were looking for but it was an amazing week together as a team,” Tabitha wrote.
Tabitha doesn’t appear to have a public-facing Instagram account.
5. She Graduated from Ohio State & Started the Jim & Tabitha Furyk Foundation With Her Husband
Tabitha graduated from Ohio State University with a degree in education, according to her LinkedIn page.
These days, she is very active within her community and has dedicated a great deal of her time to charity work. She and Jim started the Tabitha & Jim Furyk Foundation in 2010. She is currently listed as the foundation’s president.
“Jim and Tabitha Furyk, along with their two children and dog, Lucky, are world travelers who enjoy a day on the water almost as much as the weeks on the green. Jim is a 17-time winner on PGA Tour and is the only professional golfer to post two rounds below 60 on the PGA Tour. In 2010, Jim and Tabitha created their foundation to bring awareness and funding to charities in the greater Jacksonville area. As a family, the Furyk’s are committed to making a difference in the lives of those less fortunate,” reads the “About” section on the foundation’s website.
The Tabitha & Jim Furyk Foundation has worked with several organizations, including Wolfson’s Children’s Hospital, Community PedsCare, Blessings in a Backpack, and Operation Shower.