Charlie Murray (golfer)

Charles Richard Murray (27 August 1882 – 23 June 1938) was a Canadian professional golfer who played in the late 19th century and early 20th century. His best finish in a major championship was ninth in the 1912 U.S. Open. Murray was a 9-time winner of the Quebec Open.[1]

Charlie Murray
Charlie Murray, c. 1915
Personal information
Full nameCharles Richard Murray
Born(1882-08-27)27 August 1882
Nottingham, England
Died23 June 1938(1938-06-23) (aged 55)
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Nationality England
 Canada
SpouseBarbara Louise Harris
Children3
Career
Turned professional1900
Professional wins13
Best results in major championships
Masters TournamentDNP
PGA ChampionshipDNP
U.S. Open9th: 1912
The Open ChampionshipDNP
Achievements and awards
Canadian Golf
Hall of Fame		1971
PGA of Canada
Hall of Fame		2014

Murray won the Canadian Open twice, in 1906 and 1911, and won the inaugural Canadian PGA Championship in 1912. Murray and his brother Albert were co-founders of the PGA of Canada in 1911. In 1971 he was inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.

Early life

Charlie Murray was born in Nottingham, England, on 27 August 1882.[2] At the age of six, he emigrated with his family to Canada. As a young lad in the early 1890s he caddied at the Toronto Golf Club where he learned the finer points of club-making and other skills necessary to be a professional golfer. He showed early promise as a player with great potential and was apprenticed under the watchful eye of George Cumming. Under Cumming's tutelage, Murray learned, in addition to club-making skills, the fundamentals of golf as both a player and teacher.[3]

Golf career

After two years as an assistant under Cumming, he was appointed as head professional in 1902 at the Toronto Hunt Polo and Golf Club. Thereafter he spent two years at Westmount Golf Club in Montreal before moving on to Royal Montreal Golf Club in 1905 where he would remain for the next 33 years.[3] In 1924 he accepted a post at Gulf Stream Golf Club in Delray Beach, Florida, and for ten years thereafter would spend his winters in Florida and return to Royal Montreal in the summers. In addition to nine victories in the Quebec Open, Murray also won the Canadian Open twice—in 1906 and again in 1911—as well as the inaugural 1912 Canadian PGA Championship.

Golf course architecture

Murray did some golf course architecture with his brother Albert. Courses they collaborated on include the Kanawaki Golf Club, and the Whitlock Golf and Country Club.[4] Charlie also made some alterations to toughen up the Royal Montreal old Dixie course at Dorval in preparation for the 1926 Canadian Open.[5]

1912 U.S. Open

The 1912 U.S. Open was the 18th U.S. Open, held August 1–2 at the Country Club of Buffalo in Amherst, New York, a suburb east of Buffalo. Murray finished alone in ninth place, shooting rounds of 75-78-77-76=306, and won $40 in prize money. John McDermott won the tournament.[1]

Quebec Open

Murray won the Quebec Open nine times between 1909 and 1924. The tournament was not played from 1915 to 1919 due to World War I.[2][6]

Death and legacy

Murray died on 23 June 1938, aged 55, at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal following an operation to correct a stomach ailment (cancer).[7] The direct cause of death was a pulmonary embolism.[3] He was survived by his wife Barbara and three sons—Kenneth, Gordon and Howard—and a brother, Albert, who was also a Canadian golf hall of famer.

Upon his death it was reported, "the Royal and Ancient pastime suffers an irreparable loss".[8] He was inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame in 1971 and was a founding member of the PGA of Canada in 1911. Murray, along with his brother, Albert, was inducted into the PGA of Canada Hall of Fame in 2014.[2] In 2015, Murray was inducted with his brother into the Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.[9]

Tournament wins
Charlie Murray (right) sitting with his younger brother Albert (left) in 1903
Charlie Murray at Royal Montreal Golf Club, c.  1912

Note: This list may be incomplete.

Results in major championships
Tournament 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913
U.S. Open T11 T29 ? ? ? T31 ? ? 9 T21

Note: Murray played only in the U.S. Open.

T = Tied for a place
? = Unknown
Yellow background for top-10

Source:[10]

Notes
  1. Some sources indicate that he won this event 10 times.

    References
    1. Brenner, Morgan G. (2009). The Majors of Golf: Complete Results of the Open, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and the Masters, 1860-2008. 1. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-3360-5.
    2. "Charles Murray". PGAofCanadaHallofFame.com. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
    3. "Charles Murray, Golf Pro, is Dead". Montreal Gazette. Canada. 24 June 1938. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
    4. "Albert Murray". RCGA.org. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
    5. Marshall, Doug. "Charles & Albert Murray". Golf Historical Society of Canada. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
    6. "2015 Promutuel Insurance Quebec Open". Retrieved March 21, 2020 – via docplayer. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
    7. "Albert H. Murray (1887-1974) — Caddy, Champion, Course Architect". AlbertMurray.com. Archived from the original on 10 January 2016. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
    8. "Charles Richard Murray (1882–1939)". GolfQuebec.org. Archived from the original on 15 May 2010. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
    9. "Canada's Sports Hall of Fame". Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 11 November 2017. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
    10. "C. R. Murray". GolfMajorChampionships.com. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
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