RBC Heritage

Harbour Town Golf Links



The Loop

Winning advice for Murray: 'Go easy on the wine'

February 14, 2011

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. -- In 2006 Bill Murray's film, Groundhog Day, was selected for inclusion in the National Film Registry that archives and preserves movies deemed to be of cultural, historical or aesthetic significance. I couldn't help but wonder how Murray compared winning the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am to that honor.

"I didn't expect the National Registry," he said. "The National Registry is pretty cool because that's going to be around for a long time." But, and I'll paraphrase here, Murray went on to talk about having his name on the rock wall between Pebble Beach's putting green and the first tee. "I don't want much," he said, "but I really wanted that."

Other than the thrill of getting his name on the rock, Murray's favorite round was Saturday at Pebble Beach. On the par-3 fifth hole before hitting his tee shot a foot short of the hole, someone from the gallery yelled out that they'd give him free sushi if he made a hole in one. "So," replied Murray, "if I make a 13,000-to-1 shot, you're going to give me a piece of raw fish?"

He made certain to mention his previous partners, particularly Scott Simpson, whose advice before the final round proved crucial. Simpson warned him to take it easy on the wine. It was something gleaned from experience one of the years that duo got close. "This proves that you really can have the most fun and win," Murray said.

-- Jim Moriarty