The Associated Press

GRAND BLANC, Mich. - Jim Furyk really enjoyed being Mr. Mom. Now, he's ready to go back to playing golf most of the year.

Furyk confirmed on Monday his plans to defend the Buick Open title at the end of July. He made the announcement one day after the end of the U.S. Open, his first competitive outing since having wrist surgery March 22.

"I've never spent six months at home, straight, before. It was awkward, but it was very fun spending time with my kids," Furyk said in a conference call during Buick Open media day. "It gave me time to reflect, and sit back and think about golf, and also to get away from it and get refreshed.

"It was lot of fun for the family to almost be normal again, instead of traveling. I'll miss some of that, but it's also good to be back, playing and doing my job."

Furyk was thrilled to have an opportunity to defend his U.S. Open title at Shinnecock Hills after having surgery. He made the cut by one shot, then struggled on the weekend - like many did - and finished tied for 48th at 18 over.

U.S. OPEN RATINGS: The overnight ratings for Sunday's coverage of the final round of the U.S. Open were up 13 percent from last year, but 32 percent lower than those for Tiger Woods' victory in 2002.

NBC's coverage of Retief Goosen's victory over Phil Mickelson got a 6.3 rating with a 15 share, up from the 5.6/13 earned last year when Furyk won.

Neither year came close to 2002, when Woods held off Mickelson at Bethpage Black to win the second of golf's four majors by three shots. That got a 9.3/21, the highest for the U.S. Open since Nielsen Media Research began tracking overnights in 1975.