Gordon Murray

Towering figure in Scottish amateur golf during the 1970, twice Scottish Champion

Gordon Murray, golfer. Born, Paisley: 19 December, 1936. Died: Barrhead: 29 February, 2020, aged 83.

Gordon Murray, who has died in his 84th year, was a towering figure in Scottish amateur golf during a Golden Age in the 1970s. In a ten-year period, he was twice Scottish Champion, these two triumphs book-ending a runners-up place. He was a regular in the Scotland international team, and in addition to his two national titles, he won an additional 12 72-hole tournaments.

He also played in the 1977 Walker Cup match, at Shinnecock Hills, in New York state – one of six Scots (including Sandy Lyle, then representing England) in the 12-man Great Britain and Ireland team.

This was, however, not an entirely joyous occasion for the big-hitting Paisley Buddie. Not selected for Friday morning’s opening foursomes, he went out in the afternoon against future US Open Champion Scott Simpson, carrying 15, rather than the regulation 14 clubs in his bag, incurring a two-hole penalty. After this, the sky fell-in on the nervous Murray, who lost 7&6.

He was paired with Yorkshire’s Michael Kelley in the Saturday morning foursomes, in the final match, which the pair won 4&3, over Fred Ridley and Mike Brannan. However, by then the overall match was almost gone, with the USA eventually winning 16-8.

This was, in some ways a rare international outing for Murray. He should, through his consistency in the big events, have been a regular in the Scotland amateur team. However, a natural rebel, not to mention a typically “thrawn” Paisley Buddie, he had years in the wilderness, when omitted for some slight on the selectors and the SGU high heid yins.

“Gordon was naturally rebellious and notoriously indiscreet,” said his great firend Ian Mccosh – “Mr Renfrewshire Golf. I sometimes think, the SGU ‘blazers’ could cope with Barclay Howard or Gordon Murray, but struggled with Barclay Howard and Gordon Murray.”

He first played for Scotland in 1973, the year he began his phenomenal streak in the Scottish Amateur Championship, by reaching the semifinal, at Carnoustie. In 1974, at Western Gailes, he won the title, beating Sandy Pirie 2&1. The 1975 event went to

Montrose, where defending champion Gordon reached the final, only to lose 7&6 to David Greig.

In 1976 he bounced back, over the Old Course at St Andrew’s, thumping Hugh Stuart 6&5 to win the title for the second time.

The following year, he fell out with the SGU selectors and was out in the cold until, when in great form in 1983, he was recalled to the national side. In all, in addition to his two “Scottish” wins, he won a further 12 72-hole tournaments, as well as being a fixture for many years in the Renfrewshire county team.

Gordon Murray was famous for using very tall tees, and, when driving, he could keep up with and often out-hit the top professionals. Ian Mccosh again: “I never saw anyone who used taller tees, I don’t know where he got them, but he hit the ball for miles. I remember asking him what clubs he had used at one hole at Ralston one day, and he replied: ‘driver and a wee nine iron’. A ‘wee nine,’ the rest of us were using a driver and a six iron or longer.”

For all his success in golf, the game was only ever a pastime for Gordon. The “day job” saw him working as an engineer and tool fitter for such big companies as Pressed Steel and Rolls Royce, before, towards the end of his working life, he managed to combine golf and work, in the employ of John Letters and the Ryder Golf Club Company.

Then, working in Hillington Industrial Estate, he and his fellow rapscallion, Barclay Howard, could often be seen hitting golf balls on the “driving range” they established on some waste ground alongside the M8 motorway.

Throughout his career, Gordon Murray was a great supporter of and encourager of young golfers. As captain of Renfrewshire, he survived friendly accusations of “nepotism” by giving his younger son Gary a call-up to the County team, after introducing Gary and elder brother Gordon Murray Junior to the game at their father’s beloved Fereneze Golf Club, in Barrhead.

Nancy, his beloved wife of many years, pre-deceased Gordon, who is survived by his sons and their families.

He was a genuine character, who will be much-missed in Scottish amateur golf.

IAN MCCOSH

“I never saw anyone who used taller tees, I don’t know where he got them, but, he hit the ball for miles.”