Crieff professional’s Ryder Cup thrills

Oct 10 2008 by Gordon Bannerman, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

Crieff professional’s Ryder Cup thrills

CRIEFF Golf Club professional David Murchie lapped-up a truly birdies-eye view of the Ryder Cup action.

He handled duties as a referee’s observer over two days of the tournament and admits the frenzied Valhalla atmosphere was unique, as a hyped-up home crowd got right behind their winning US team.

Now back at his Big County base, he said: “It was a memorable experience.

“I was at the Ryder Cup at the Belfry six years ago, but it was special being part of the event on American soil.”

He was on hand to back-up the referee in matches involving Jim Furyk and Kenny Perry against Robert Karlsson and Henrik Stenson, and Boo Weekly going head-to-head on the final day against Oliver Wilson.

“Boo is quite a character and he really had the Kentucky crowd geed-up. It was the noisiest I’ve ever heard golf fans.

“I know some people have been critical but if you think the Ryder Cup is like any other golf tournament you’re very wrong. It’s very partisan but that’s what makes it so special.

“It was a great tournament. The course wasn’t set up to catch players out. They didn’t hide away pins and bring in the fairways. It was designed to test the players but give them a chance to have a go in a match play situation.”

David rubbed shoulders with the European contingent flying into Louisville.

He said: “They had to secure special permission to land at Louisville because it’s not normally an international gateway. Usually the only sporting connections are horses being flown in for the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.”

Referee observers were drafted in following mysterious cases of balls flying into the crowd at previous tournaments, only to find their way back onto the fairway!

David said: “I didn’t have a problem in that regard but I was also on hand to help the referee around landing areas in cases where balls landed in the water.”

A long-time chairman of the Scottish PGA, it was his role as a board member of the PGA that warranted the passport to the Ryder Cup.

“The delegation was made up of representatives from the PGA, the European Tour and the PGAs of Europe. Maybe the fact our team included one or two former Tour pros helped our victory over the Americans!”

David and the European “blazers” were given the five-star treatment at nearby Audubon Golf Club.

“They were chuffed to get our game but unfortunately the course was hit by the tail end of Hurricane Ike days before we arrived.

“So was Valhalla but they had an army to get it right. I was there on the Tuesday and you wouldn’t have known there had been a problem.

“At Audubon they had done their very best and, remarkably, the greens and fairways had been cleared.

“But a lot of trees had been destroyed and the power had been knocked out. I tend to end up in the rough and there was a lot of debris there!” he laughed.