George Murray could call time on career

• Ex-Scottish Amateur champ George Murray may quit golf
• Next month’s Alfred Dunhill Links could be his last event
• “I’ve had a good run but I’ve got to be realistic,” said Murray

George Murray has admitted that he may be forced to call time on his career if he is unable to secure a European Tour card before the end of the season.

Speaking to bunkered.co.uk, the 33-year-old Fifer revealed that next month’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship could be his last event as a full-time professional golfer – and that’s assuming that the Kingsbarns-attached pro is able to get an invitation for it.

“It’s been a frustrating year” – George Murray

Murray, who turned professional in 2006 after a successful amateur career that included winning the Scottish Amateur in 2004, has struggled to establish a foothold on the European Tour, yo-yoing between it and the Challenge Tour.

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His 2016 season has been ravaged by a neck injury that has limited him to just five starts on the Challenge Tour and, having made the decision to skip Qualifying School, the first stage of which began at The Roxburghe this week, Murray admits that he may be forced to hang up his clubs before the end of the year.

“It’s been a frustrating year,” said George Murray. “I’ve tried to play in all the main tour events that I’ve been able to get into because, in those, if you make the cut, you’re guaranteed to make money. It’s not really like that on the Challenge Tour.

“You need to really push on over the weekend to make enough money to cover your costs” – George Murray

“Yes, you’ll get a cheque if you make the cut but you need to really push on over the weekend to make enough money to cover your costs, which is hard enough at the best of times but even more so when you’re struggling a bit with injury.

“I’m hoping I might be able to get a spot in the Dunhill but we’ll just need to wait and see. If it comes to it that I’ve got nowhere to play next season, and I can’t get enough starts through a medical exemption, then I may need to call it a day.”

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Refreshingly, George Murray, who finished third in the Alfred Dunhill Links in 2011, says that, if this is the end for him on the tour, he won’t leave it with any regrets.

“I’ve been out here ten years and really enjoyed it,” he said. “I’ve won the Scottish Hydro Challenge, played in the Open and visited some amazing places. I’ve had a decent career. The game doesn’t owe me anything.

“I’ve got two young kids and I need to provide for them and my wife” – George Murray

“If I do end up walking away, I’ll be glad to do it on good terms rather than be one of these guys who chips away and chips away for years on end, without really getting anywhere, and who ends up hating the game as a result. I don’t want to be bitter.

“I’ve had a good run but I’ve also got to be realistic. I’ve got two young kids and I need to provide for them and my wife. If that means leaving golf altogether and doing something else, so be it.”

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George Murray :: Close to quitting golf

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Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Deputy Editor