Andy Murray has taken up a new sport since retiring from tennis and has even fooled his children into thinking he has gone pro after spending so much time practising
Tennis legend Andy Murray has followed the path of countless retired athletes by embracing golf as his new passion since hanging up his racket last year. The two-time Wimbledon winner has become so devoted to the sport that even his children are convinced he’s switched careers entirely.
It’s hardly unusual for former sporting stars to take to the greens when they finally have spare time on their hands. And Murray has been showcasing his impressive abilities with the clubs after participating in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship pro-am competition.
Speaking ahead of the tournament, the Scot disclosed just how deep his fascination has become. The 38-year-old, whose handicap had plummeted to 2.4 before the event, appears to have retained his fierce competitive drive despite bidding farewell to tennis.
“My kids think I’m a golfer,” he told The Times. “They say, ‘Daddy, why do you play every day?’ I didn’t really play for 12 years because I had a back operation in my mid-twenties and I was sore when I practised.
“Thankfully, it’s been pretty good since I finished – I think tennis was the main issue – and I just really enjoy it. I guess it has filled a bit of a void.
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“It is something to practise and get better at and there are so many different parts of the game you can work on, and I don’t find that boring. If I don’t have any commitments, I’ll arrive at 9am and stay there until I have to pick the kids back up from school.”
Fans have been left gobsmacked by the impressive golfing skills Murray has displayed this past week. The three-time Grand Slam champion, who paired with two-time DP World Tour winner Eddie Pepperell at St Andrews, managed to secure a tie for 18th place out of 168 pairings.
Over the weekend, Murray’s performance included an incredible 70-foot hole-in putt on the par-four 13th hole. Despite his efforts, he didn’t manage to top the leaderboard among the celebrity cast in Scotland, with Piers Morgan, Michael Douglas and namesake Bill Murray finishing above him after Day 3 was cancelled due to Storm Amy.
The two-time Wimbledon winner, who shares four children with wife Kim, seems to be balancing his new golf obsession with family time. And it appears that despite his retirement from tennis, his kids are still getting plenty of attention from their dad.
But it seems Murray isn’t content with just playing golf casually. He’s even revealed his ambitions to qualify for The Open one day and compete for major silverware in a second sport.
“A couple of my friends who are very good golfers have done it,” he said. “If I can improve enough, I think it would be a fun thing to do. I played in the club championships at Beaverbrook a few months ago and I loved it.
“It was the most fun I’d had playing golf and the more I play, the less I enjoy just playing socially. I don’t know if I’ll be capable of entering, but I want to try and play in a few more events.”
It’s no surprise a former professional athlete like Murray, known for his competitive spirit, might find it hard to play any sport just for fun. And his kids are more convinced than most that their dad has been bitten by the golf bug.
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