Donegal's Michael Murphy trades the football for putter
Keen but not hugely talented. Not a synopsis you would usually associate with an All-Ireland-winning footballer — but then again Donegal captain Michael Murphy is describing his relationship with golf.
That will come under a little closer scrutiny at Ballyliffin tomorrow when Murphy tees up at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open Pro-Am, one of a host of local and national heroes putting their games under the spotlight on the Glashedy links.
The presence of Murphy, 28, has added impact because the Glenswilly clubman is an ambassador for this week’s European Tour event, a position he was only too glad to accept and with which came the added bonus of honorary life membership at Ballyliffin.
An opening All-Ireland SFC Super 8 trip to Croke Park to face defending champions Dublin is looming large the following weekend but the Ulster champions’ skipper is only too willing to lend a hand to an event showcasing the Inishowen peninsula and his home county to the wider golfing world.
Yeah, well, I suppose being from Donegal, I’m just trying to help out,” Murphy said of his status as a tournament ambassador this week. “It’s huge. We have our own teams and our own sports and our own people, that’s at a regional level and I suppose even a national level but this is an international event.
“There are people from all over the world coming here and it’s going to portrayed across the whole world too, in terms of television and through the media.
“We know that and everyone wants to try and seize the opportunity. The whole club here at Ballyliffin is absolutely ready for it and we’re just as proud as punch for it to be shown off to as many people as possible and for the people that come here for the tournament to have a good time at a great event.
“We’re fairly easy going and easy-natured-type people and we’re confident people coming here will have a good time and they’ll enjoy the golf, enjoy their stay in Donegal, and everything it has to offer in the area. We’ll try and cater for them as best we can and make sure that they leave with an unbelievable and great experience, something that they’ve really enjoyed.”
As for Murphy’s own golfing prowess, “keen but I wouldn’t be hugely talented” is followed by a deft deflection of attention onto the surroundings.
“I love it and we’re spoiled for choice here in Donegal. We have a lot of top-quality courses here and I try and get around and sample as many as I can. Ballyliffin is right up there with the best that we have. It’s a fantastic facility and two absolutely fantastic courses.
So I’m mad keen, we’re all mad keen to get the best in golf here for the Irish Open and show them the best we have to offer, get them over to our patch and show it off a bit.
Like the rest of the county, Murphy is determined Donegal puts its best forward this week and is eager to promote the area as the Irish Open comes to this corner of the island for the first time.
Where to go and what to see? “You’d point them anywhere at all! Coming up here to Inishowen is a fantastic place, a really, really beautiful peninsula and just looking around you here at all the views from the golf course at the mountains and beaches and sand dunes gives you an idea of that.
“You have absolutely everything here in terms of natural beauty and what the landscape offers and then the people here in Donegal add to it.
“They give it that extra little bit, they’re forever willing to sit down and have a chat, have a bit of fun, have a bit of craic, and a drink if need be. They just want people to come and have a ball and I think that’s what we do have and we’re very lucky to have it.
“When you go away, travelling, you realise what we do have on offer here with the natural beauty and the people and that’s a cracking little marriage when you can put the two of them together.”
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