English golfer Eddie Pepperell has revealed the genuine side of Andy Murray following their partnership at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. The tennis legend made his first appearance at the golfing eventover the weekend.
He took part in the Amateur Team Championship, which sees 168 professional golfers join forces with amateur players. The three-time Grand Slam winner played alongside Pepperell, wrapping up proceedings with a total of -23 following three rounds.
Murray, 38, earned widespread admiration for his showing in the pro-am tournament, with his putting prowess particularly catching the eye of spectators.
Pepperell, a two-time victor on the European Tour, discussed his time on the course with the double Olympic gold medallist during an appearance on TheChipping Forecast podcast, reports the Express.
He disclosed how a brief five-word comment from Murray demonstrated just how genuine the Scottish sporting hero truly is. "I've never been particularly high-octane on a Thursday or Friday, even a Sunday at times," the 34-year-old said.
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"Andy did say something really nice, we came off at Kingsbarns and I was bit disappointed with my two-under-par and he said, 'How did you think that went', and I said, 'Oh it was okay, some good, some bad', and he just looked at me and said, 'I thought you were awesome'.
"It was a really genuine, sweet moment and he was a great partner honestly, it was an unusual partner because it actually felt like I was partnering up with a professional. His level of focus and concentration and his standard too, he was very good."
Since hanging up his tennis racket last August, Murray has taken part in several pro-am golf events and has even set his sights on qualifying for The Open Championship in 2027.
However, he acknowledges that this ambitious goal can only be achieved if he significantly improves his golfing skills by then. In a chat with The Times last month, he revealed: "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.
"I've been pretty amazed at how willing the pros are to help because spending five hours with people who are hacking it around probably isn't that enjoyable."
Murray called time on his illustrious tennis career last year after 19 years as a professional. He captured two Wimbledon titles and one US Open triumph and contested in a total of 11 major finals.
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