Top prospects descend on OSU Scarlet
Grayson Murray is well on his way to becoming a TV golf announcer. As an insider, the 23-year-old PGA Tour player understands the game, enjoys giving his opinion and already is more prescient with his analysis than many current broadcasters.
For instance, on Aug. 8 Murray predicted that a player from the Web.com Tour would go on to win a PGA Tour major championship in the next few years.
Five days later, Justin Thomas won the PGA Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina. Thomas spent two seasons on the Web.com Tour before moving up in 2015.
Murray might not have had Thomas in mind when making his prediction.
It's more likely that the native of Raleigh, North Carolina, was talking about himself. He does not lack for confidence.
Regardless, Murray was correct in his analysis.
The Web.com Tour, which comes to Columbus on Thursday when the Ohio State Scarlet Course hosts the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship — the first leg of the four-tournament Web.com Tour Finals — is something of an on-deck circle for many of golf’s best players.
“I wish the average fan realized how good the Web.com Tour is and began following it more,” Murray said.
Such PGA Tour luminaries as Rickie Fowler and Zach Johnson honed their skills on the Web.com Tour.
So did Thomas, who won the 2014 Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship.
Murray figures that if Thomas can win a major championship, so can he. After all, both got their big break at the Scarlet Course.
Murray won the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship last year, edging Australian Cameron Smith, who like Murray won once on the PGA Tour this season.
“Winning at Scarlet put me on the map,” Murray said. “And I relied on that
Free; print tickets at ncc-golf.com
Golf Channel will air parts of all rounds; 3-6 p.m. Thursday, noon-2 p.m. Friday; 1-3 p.m. Saturday, 6-8 p.m. Sunday
experience to win (the Barbasol Championship) in Alabama in July. “It’s hard just to make it onto the Web.com Tour. The difference is that on the PGA Tour the last guy in the field on any given week can win.
“On the Web.com Tour, the top 50 guys could win out here any week.”
The top 25 moneywinners among those 50 Web.com Tour players have earned their PGA Tour cards for next season, while the next 25 spots go to players who earn the most cumulative money in the four Web.com Tour Finals events.
Murray came from four shots back on the last day to win last year’s Nationwide Children’s Championship, which did not surprise him in the least.
“I like coming from behind. I’m not scared,” he said. “A lot of guys won’t admit it, but they’re scared to win. I’m not. I embrace it.”
Such candor has caused Murray some headaches in his rookie season on the PGA Tour.
Among other issues, he tweeted controversial comments about other players, although he did not name them.
“For a while there, my agent was checking his phone every two minutes to see what I had gotten myself into,” he said. “I don’t want to be the kind of guy who rubs people the wrong way, but I’m not going to change who I am.”