Andy Murray left Sky Sports commentators speechless after sinking a birdie from approximately 70 feet at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. The three-time Grand Slam winner is currently testing his skills in the golfing world following his retirement from tennis last summer.
Following his maiden triumph at the BTJA Mike Dickson Golf Day last October, Murray has returned to competitive action this week at St Andrews. During Sunday’s round, playing alongside Eddie Pepperell, he demonstrated his genuine ability on the greens and fairways.
Approaching his putt on the par four 13th hole, few spectators present or viewers worldwide would have anticipated him holing the ball for birdie considering the substantial distance from the pin. Yet that’s precisely what the legendary Scotsman achieved, remaining composed as he struck the ball with authority before watching it roll into the cup at pace.
Prior to the putt, Sky Sports commentator Dominik Holyer remarked: “Gosh, this must be 70, 80 feet or so on the 13th.” Once the ball dropped, Holyer and his fellow commentator remained momentarily stunned into silence before he continued: “He has holed some terrific putts out there this week.
“I know he’s been a bit squiffy at times, but that’s another one for the team – he and Eddie Pepperell.” The tournament has experienced an unusual weekend, with Saturday’s play abandoned entirely after merely 20 minutes due to 60mph winds from Storm Amy.
The entire 164-player field, including the same number of pro-am competitors – among them Murray – were all out on the three courses following an unusual shotgun start. However, play was suspended and they were taken off the courses as balls began to move on their own on the greens.
Tournament organisers confirmed in a Saturday afternoon statement: “All golf played over the three courses on Saturday, 4 October has been cancelled. The third round will be played on Sunday, 5 October as a two-tee start, over all three courses between 09:00 – 11.23.”
This follows an incident where Murray left fans stunned with a poorly struck shot on Friday, on the fourth hole at Kingsbarns. After landing in a fairway bunker with an errant tee shot, Murray faced a challenging recovery from the sand.
However, things took a turn for the worse for the 38-year-old when he completely topped his ball after swinging at it, causing it to roll to the right and remain in the bunker. Murray reacted to his effort by placing his hands on his knees and staring at the ground, before letting out a brief chuckle as spectators surrounding him also saw the humorous side.
