The interest generated by the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup has led Jim Furyk to decide on a format change for the Exelon Invitational.

For the first eight years, the Exelon has been a skins game.

Beginning with this year's event on June 4 at The ACE Club, the event will be a better ball of partners.

Furyk, the Manheim Township grad, will team with fellow American Charles Howell III in a fourball match against Ireland's Padraig Harrington and South Africa native Retief Goosen.

"We Americans will take on the World," Furyk quipped Monday at the Exelon Invitational's Media Day.

"I know people will ask, 'Why change the format?' Well, the reason is I wanted to keep it fresh.

"The Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup are right behind the majors and they are events that really gather a spectator's eye. There's a lot of attention given to those two events. They're exciting. They're the most fun to watch.

"Obviously, Padraig has had the U.S.'s number for quite a while in the Ryder Cup. This is a chance for us to get back at him a little bit."

The event will feature a purse of $280,000, with the winning team splitting $160,000 and the losing team splitting $120,000.

If the match would end, say, on the 15th hole by a 4 & 3 score, the players will continue to play the final three holes for an extra $25,000, to be donated to the players' favorite charity.

The Boys and Girls Club of Philadelphia is the beneficiary of the Exelon Invitational, and Furyk announced yesterday that he will donate his share of the purse to the charity.

It is the first time he has offered to do that.

"Hopefully, I'll be on the winning side and it'll be a little larger," Furyk said.

Tickets are now on sale through Ticketmaster (215-336-2000) or via the tournament's Web site (Exelongolf.com). Ticket are priced at $30 in advance, $35 the day of the event.

"I'm looking forward to the better ball," Furyk said, "and I'm looking forward to the U.S. being on the winning side."

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