George Murray celebrated his last big European Tour finish by footing the bar bill at Anstruther Golf Club but the Scot is all business after his strong showing in South Africa at the weekend.
The former Scottish Amateur champion secured his playing rights on the European Tour with his third place finish in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship last month, prompting the celebration party at his home club, and he followed that up by finishing second behind Garth Mulroy at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa at the weekend.
That means Murray is another high finish away from a place in the lucrative season-ending Dubai World Championship and he’s going for it this week, having made the trip up from Durban to Johannesburg for the South African Open, which starts on Thursday.
But although a year of struggles on his debut season on the European Tour have ended with success, the 28-year-old, who graduated from the Challenge Tour last year, knows that his work is only just beginning.
”It’s been a long and tough season and I’m looking forward to a break but obviously I keep going if there’s a chance to get to Dubai,” he said.
Lying in 77th position on the Race To Dubai ranking with the top 60 getting invitations to the season finale which carries a £4.8 million prize fund, another top-two finish would do the trick.
He continued: ”It’s a lot to ask to do that but if I can get a top-five this week that would get me into the Hong Kong Open next week (the final tournament before Dubai) which would be another chance.
”I have started striking the ball a lot better after doing a fair bit of work with my coach Ian Rae in recent months, and I got some new wedges from Callaway that I feel really comfortable with.
“But it’s my putting that has been so much better. I did some work with (St Andrews teaching pro) Jim Farmer on that and while I’ve not seen him for a while, I still work on the stuff he taught me.”
Even if he makes Dubai and more money, Murray’s aware that sitting back and enjoying his success is not an option.
He said: ”It’s bloody hard work to do well at this level, there are so many quality players out there and you’ve got to work hard to have a chance.
”It’s hard enough to get off the Challenge Tour for a start as the quality is getting better all the time there.
”The plan has to be to kick on from this season. I’ll be aiming to get a lot of good work in before the start of 2012, out on the range and also going to the gym to lose this belly and get a bit fitter.”
Murray’s fellow Fifer Peter Whiteford re-found his form at the weekend for a late bid to get to Dubai as well, finishing tied for third four shots behind his countryman and moving up to 62nd in the rankings.
Whiteford had a superb first six months of 2011 and was the leading Scot on Tour after The Open Championship, but he suffered a drop in form with seven missed cuts in eight events since August.
However, a Saturday 64 showed his form had returned and he will be at the Jack Nicklaus-designed Serengeti Country Club course this weekend attempting to get back in the top 60. Richie Ramsay, Paul Lawrie, Scott Jamieson and Stephen Gallacher, who partners Martin Laird for Scotland in this week’s World Cup, are the other Scots set for Dubai.
Photo Ken Jack/PA