Tom Murray benefited from the experience of his father, former European Tour winner and caddie Andrew to storm into contention at the Scottish Hydro Challenge hosted by Macdonald Hotels and Resorts with a six under par 65.
That moved the young Englishman to within two shots of the lead as he aims for a maiden win in his rookie season on the Challenge Tour.
Andrew Murray’s sole European Tour title came at the 1989 European Open in Walton Heath and he racked up 319 appearances on the top tier before going on to forge a solid career on the Senior Tour, where he still plays regularly.
Murray, playing alongside former Ryder Cup player Oliver Wilson, did not card a single birdie on the way to his best round on the Challenge Tour and the 23 year old said that the presence of his father on the bag played a big part.
“Dad is caddying for me for the first time this week and I think he is a lucky omen,” said the Manchester native. “He has helped lots. I think he was more nervous than me before we started but he is great with reading the putts and knowing which clubs to go with. He’s obviously pretty experienced.
“I’ve had a pretty poor start to the year so it’s good to get my Dad here to spot if I am doing anything wrong, plus I had no one else to caddie for me so I guess that played a part in the decision!
“My brother has also caddied for me this year so it’s been a bit of a family affair. It’s a big step up going to the Challenge Tour, there are some very good players and the scoring is so good. It’s been a big learning curve but I think I’ve finally found my feet, preparing and all the stuff off the course.”
