'Savage' - Murphy on a high after winning on his professional debut

Sam Murphy

Sam Murphy was still pinching himself last night after winning the Alps Tour’s Ein Bay Open on his professional debut to put a string of career-threatening surgeries behind him in Egypt.

The Portumna rookie (23), who is coached by Gary Madden at Glenlo Abbey, has gone under the knife six times in the past four-and-a-half years — five times on his ankles (both now fused) and another on his right elbow.

“It's hard to believe it even happened,” Murphy said after making a clutch seven-footer for a par at the last to shoot a one-under 71 and win the third-tier tour’s opening event by two shots on 11 under from Castle’s Robert Moran at Sokhna Golf Club in Suez.

“It’s put me in a great position for the rest of the year. To have your name on top of the board after the first week in your first start, it’s savage. Surreal.”

Two shots ahead overnight after rounds of 69 and 65, Murphy extended his lead with three birdies in four holes from the eighth but bogeyed the 12th and 15th to go to last just a shot ahead of a charging Moran, who also shot 71 after some early mistakes.

The Dubliner missed the 18th green, however, and while Murphy was fortunate not to find water, he chipped up to seven feet and made the putt to win €6,200.

“Rob had three feet for par and would have holed it if he had to,” Murphy said. “But standing over it, you don't remember the takeaway, you don't remember anything, but somehow I managed to will the ball in.”

He now tops the Order of Merit in the race to make the top five who will be promoted to the HotelPlanner Tour.

But what gave him as much pleasure as the win was getting back to ful fitness and getting to see his coach regularly again.

Sam Murphy

“It's been an interesting journey, but looking back, I probably wouldn't change anything, because I'm fully fit now,” he said. “Throughout my amateur sports career, when I was good and I was able to play, I was able to compete, but I wasn't fit for long enough.

“It's definitely a nice feeling to be fully fit now for the rest of the season.”

His previous wins in the Irish Boys and the Connacht Stroke Play came by wide margins, but he was pleased to win in a close finish this time.

“I've put in a lot of work the last six months with my coach, Gary, and I've been playing the way I have the past couple of days for six months,” he said.

“I know the game is there, and it's nice that it's there when you're not under pressure, but then to go out and do it through the event was really nice. And the way I did it too, because I suppose my couple wins, you're winning by 10 shots or by seven or eight shots, but actually to have to make a putt to win a tournament. It's a different feeling.

“And you're actually under pressure down the stretch and like, this is our job now, and this is your life. So it was a different feeling to have compared to coming down the stretch when you're leading by six or seven and have a few shots to play with.”

Meanwhile, Kilkenny’s Mark Power (25) was delighted to take advantage of a late invitation and open with a three-under 67 in the DP World Tour’s Magical Kenya Open at Karen Country Club.

“Obviously not ideal preparation,” said a happy Power, who was 34th, just five shots behind Sweden’s Niklas Lemke and South Africa’s Casey Jarvis, who shot eight under 62s to lead by a shot from David Law and Kiradech Aphibarnrat.

“I got into the event on Tuesday afternoon, got here yesterday afternoon, saw a few holes of the course, and didn't put too much pressure on myself.

“There were a couple of holes where I didn't really know where I was going at all. So I think I might adjust my strategy on one or two holes.

“But there's probably no point in doing much else if I can keep playing the way I'm playing. I feel the course really suits my eye.”

At the HotelPlanner Tour’s Jonsson Workwear Durban Open, Max Kennedy's four-under 68 left him the best of the Irish at Durban Country Club, six shots behind Spain’s Pablo Ereno.

Gary Hurley shot 70 to share 44th, while Conor Purcell was 68th after a 71, and Liam Nolan and Liam Grehan 86th after their 72s.