Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka walked away with the men’s and women’s singles titles this year at the US Open. The final major of the year showed that they have what it takes to perform at the sport’s highest level, and they’re well on their way to great careers like some of the retired legends of the sport.
Andy Murray is one of those players. Murray was often overshadowed by names like Federer and Nadal throughout his career, but he performed well against the bigger names. Sometimes, he would earn wins over all-time greats – leading to three career Grand Slame victories.
With his tennis career now behind him, Murray is looking to find success in another sport. He’s set to make an attempt to qualify for one of golf’s most prestigious events.
Andy Murray’s Second Sports Journey
According to ESPN, Andy Murray says he has plans to enter regional qualifying for the Open Championship. The tournament is often known to fans colloquially as the British Open, and is played close to home for Murray.
The former World No. 1 is an avid golfer who has taken the sport more seriously since retiring as a tennis player. The 38-year-old plays with a 2 handicap and just recently eagled the 18th hole at the Wentworth pro-am.
Murray has dreams of qualifying at the regional level, but noted that does not aspire to play in the Open Championship itself.
“A couple of my friends have done it and it would just be a fun thing to do if you got to the level where you’re able to do that. I would do it, but I certainly don’t think I would have any chance of qualifying for The Open,” Murray said, choosing to be as realistic as possible about his golf skills.
“I’m fully aware of how good the players that play in those events are and how good the pros are in comparison to amateurs. Even guys that play off plus-2, 3 are miles off what these guys are.”
How Good Does Andy Murray Need to Be?
Players with a scratch handicap – amateur or professional – are allowed to take part in regional qualifying for the Open Championship. The event takes place at 15 locations around Britain and Ireland. The best performers from the regional events go on to final qualifying, where they can compete to earn a spot in the big event.
Murray said that he doesn’t plan to play in 2026, and that he wants to make the attempt in 2027, when he’s had more experience and on-course time to prepare and become a more consistent player.
“In a couple of years’ time, I think, well, I’m hoping I’ll be at a level where I won’t totally disgrace myself, but you never know,” he said. If his tennis career is any indication, he won’t have to worry about embarrassing himself on the golf course at all.
