By Jonathan Brown
NEW Royal County Down Head Pro John Murray says he wants to build on the work done by his friend and mentor Kevan Whitson as he settles into his new position at the club.
The Newcastle man replaced Kevan, who had been the Head Pro at Royal County Down since 1991, in November of last year, after working as his assistant for 11 years.
John explained how much it meant to him when he was told he would be stepping into the Head Pro role.
“It was a job that I’d really wanted since 2016, so for the club to put their trust in me to step into Kevan’s shoes and continue in that role, was life changing,” he said.
“It’s a dream come true and I’m thrilled that the club have put their trust in me to do the job for them.”
As someone who grew up in Tullybrannigan and played his first round of golf on the famous RCD links course at the age of nine, landing the job was made all the more special.
“I always would have caddied for my dad, who has been a Mourne GC member for a long time, on a Sunday morning when I was seven or eight years of age, which got me interested in golf.
“I got a ticket to play during the summer when I was nine and not long after I got Mourne juvenile membership.
“I turned out to be a half-decent golfer and went on to represent Mourne GC at different levels, so I’ve been involved (at RCD) for about 33 years now, which is crazy to think about.
“Now, all of a sudden to be the Head Pro, it’s fairytale stuff.”
In the full story John explains his journey of how became club pro, and in particular, how a trip to Augusta helped define his career. Read it now in the current issue of the Mourne Observer.
