News/Commentary

US Open golfer throws one club, breaks one over his knee in multi-hole tantrum

June 20, 2022 | | Print Article

The U.S. Open is without a doubt one of golf’s most prestigious tournaments, if not the most prestigious, and the pressure on the world’s best golfers to perform before a massive audience is intense.

Some players handle that pressure better than others, with Tiger Woods, who won three U.S. Opens, being legendary for his poise and clutch play under pressure. Other players succumb to the height of the moment and that might explain the actions seen on Sunday when Grayson Murray had a meltdown on the links.

Murray was already having a bad tournament and was well out of contention in the early stages of Sunday’s final round. After making a quadruple-bogey on the 7th hole, which dropped him to +12 for the tournament, he chucked his putter into some nearby tall grass as he stormed off the green. Fortunately, the area was clear of spectators and the club did not appear to strike anyone.

“The U.S. Open is a very difficult task,” USA Network commentator Steve Sands said on the broadcast. “But it’s made worse when you’re letting it get to you like that.”

Easy for him to say sitting on the sidelines. As for losing his putter, Murray would add an iron to the list of casualties after a poorly hit approach shot on the 10th hole sailed well over the green into some deep rough.

The frustrated golfer responded by breaking his club over his knee, with a crisp snapping sound being picked up on the audio.

“Oh, yikes,” announcer Terry Gannon said. “Goodbye club.”

“That’s what a U.S. Open can do to you sometimes,” commentator Justin Leonard chimed in.

An unapologetic Murray would tweet later: “will never apologize for wearing my emotions on my sleeve. US Opens are brutal. If this offends you it’s your problem.”

While there wasn’t much sympathy expressed online for the player, there was plenty of concern for his golf clubs which were taking the brunt of the punishment for his play.

Here’s a quick sampling of responses to the story from Twitter:

Tom Tillison
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