Murray claims Blitz victory in playoff
Story by PGA Australia
Zach Murray has taken out the Curlewis Blitz Golf tournament in emphatic style following an epic four-man playoff.
Forced into sudden death against Max McCardle, Brett Rankin and Ben Eccles on the 126-metre par 3, Murray holed a 30-foot putt to birdie to secure the first of three Blitz Golf Pro Am Series titles.
After the trio parred the makeshift playoff hole, 22-year-old Murray, who made the playoff last year at Curlewis before falling to Matt Millar, said he wasn’t expecting to nail the monster putt.
“I originally thought we were going to be playing a full hole so it was a nice surprise and it is an easier task hitting a little gap wedge rather than playing a three-wood into the wind and then having a second shot,” Murray said.
“You don’t have that much time to think so I just tried to get it as close as I could. It blocked a little bit, but you drive for show and putt for dough, so that was how it turned out.
“I have been doing some work on my putting and it is nice that it pays off when it counts. It sat a bit outside so I thought it had to break a bit coming in and it did – it was a bit like a horse sitting outside that finds a gap and it gets in.
“I had a putt very similar half an hour before and Brett gave me a bit of a read as well so I had two good looks at where I needed to start it and it trundled in. I didn’t expect to hole it but it was a nice feeling.”
Murray won last year’s Glenelg Blitz before claiming the 100th New Zealand Open – his first tournament victory since turning Professional just months earlier.
He will now look to use this win as a launching pad for what looms as a monster 2020 season.
“My next event will probably be the Singapore Open, potentially Abu Dhabi and then I’ll have a week off before the Vic Open,” he said.
“I have five days off after that and then play in the World Golf Championships in Mexico. That will be my biggest event, a $10 million event on the PGA and European tour.
“All the big names will be there, Brooks Koepka, hopefully Tiger plays and Rory McIlroy, so that will be amazing.
“Mexico itself will be pretty cool, but to play in a tournament like that where they look after you so well is pretty cool in my second year in professional golf.”
Murray has donated 25 per cent of his tournament winnings to the Australian Red Cross Appeal in aid of those affected by the recent bushfires across the country.
To support the Australian Red Cross, visit https://bit.ly/2ZTF0PZ
The second edition of Blitz Golf Pro Series on Friday 10 January at Links Hope Island, Queensland before heading to Adelaide’s Glenelg Golf Club on Sunday 12 January.
This year the overall prizepool has increased to $150,000, as men and women will for the first time compete against each other for the same purse.
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Photo credit Blitz Golf
