After 35 years in the commentary booth, Ewen Murray looks set to hang up his microphone and call time on an outstanding career as the voice of golf on Sky Sports.
The warm, dulcet tones of Murray have undoubtedly been the soundtrack to most of the game’s iconic moments during that period.
There was always a great comfort in that, as soon as the final putt had dropped on a Sunday, Murray would always find the right words and turn of phrase to do justice to the winner and the occasion as a whole.
Whether it was the genius of Tiger, the Rory revolution, a near miss for Monty in a major, the lifting of the Claret Jug, a Ryder Cup, the presentation of a Green Jacket and everything else in between, Murray has seen it all.
When he does go, he will leave his position as one of the all-time greats of sports broadcasting in Britain. What Peter Alliss was to golf on the BBC, Murray has been equally colossal as the game’s TV audience has pivoted to Sky Sports.
Ewen Murray is rightly considered as one of golf’s greatest commentators
Commentators who command the instant respect of their audience and peers are now increasingly rare and, in that respect, Murray will leave as one of the last of a dying breed.
It is unlikely that there will ever be another Bill McLaren in rugby. Nor will we ever see the likes of another Murray Walker in Formula One.
John Motson and Martin Tyler in football, Richie Benaud in cricket, Sid Waddell in darts, Peter O’Sullevan in horse racing, and Barry Davies on, well, any sport at all, really.
These are the commentators whose lines will forever be etched into the fabric of the sports they covered. They are the gold standard, and it is undeniable that this is the esteem in which Murray should be held.
Yet, whilst it is natural to eulogise about his career and abilities as a commentator, there is also a profound sadness in why Murray has considered his future in the game.
Speaking on a podcast just a few days ago, the 71-year-old Scot, who was a fine player in his own right before turning to broadcasting, spoke of the vile abuse that marred last year’s Ryder Cup.
Particularly the abuse aimed at Rory McIlroy, as well as McIlroy’s wife and young daughter, Murray admitted that it was far beyond anything he had ever witnessed on a golf course.
Reflecting on events of the Saturday afternoon at Bethpage Black when he had walked a few holes, Murray said: ‘I heard stuff in that half-hour that I can’t repeat, it’s that bad. Not fired at Rory but at Rory’s family.
‘I walked back and I thought: “Do you really need to be part of this anymore?” That’s when I decided to finish commentary.
‘By the time I got on the plane on a Monday, I looked out over New York and thought it’s been a fantastic journey, but if that’s our future, I really don’t want any part of it.
‘I just thought: “You’re 71 years of age, you’ve had a great kick of the ball”, as we say in Scotland. Now is maybe the time.’
Murray will still commentate on the majors this year, starting with The Masters at Augusta in a couple of weeks’ time. But he is expected to finish his career later this season at some point.
When that time comes, there will inevitably be an outpouring of tributes. But, in the bigger picture, Murray’s departure only highlights just how toxic the Ryder Cup has become, especially when staged in America.
To borrow a line from one of Murray’s contemporaries, it was the late, great Richie Benaud who once remarked: ‘Put your brain into gear and if you can add to what’s on the screen, then do it. Otherwise, shut up.’
The New York crowds at Bethpage back in September last year certainly did not engage their brains into gear. And nor did they add any value to what we were all watching on our TV screens.
The 2025 edition of the Ryder Cup became a shameful stain on the fabric of a sport which has long prided itself on respect and etiquette.
Of course, boundaries will always be pushed in a Ryder Cup. Away from home, players may not always be afforded total silence when teeing off.
The crowds will cheer when they miss a putt. It will be loud and hostile. The atmosphere will be very different to that of a normal tournament.
That’s all fine, so long as it stays within the boundaries of good taste. But for McIlroy’s wife, Erica, to be struck by a can of beer thrown from the crowd was a disgrace.
So, too, some of the language and comments relating to his young daughter. Shane Lowry had to be physically retrained at one point, such was the vile nature of some of the abuse.
This is where US captain Keegan Bradley and the PGA of America failed. They could have done far more to call this out at the time and keep a lid on the crowd. Instead, they chose to ramp it up even further.
Even the announcer on the first tee was at it. Ahead of McIlroy teeing off in the singles on Sunday, she led a packed grandstand into a chant of: ‘f*** you Rory.’ She would later apologise before resigning.
The PGA of America knew all of this was coming. They had years to prepare. They knew the New York crowds would be boorish, fuelled by alcohol and bone-headed stupidity.
They had ample opportunity to have proper policing in place, stricter ejection protocols, and more regulation in how alcohol was being served.
But, rather than trying to keep a lid on it and maintain a basic level of respect and courtesy, they chose to incite the abuse to a whole new level.
They allowed the Ryder Cup to turn into this toxic cesspit, one which does not align with the most basic and fundamental values of the sport.
Murray is entirely correct to call it out and walk away from it all. Unless major improvements are made to policing and crowd control in America, McIlroy and his European team-mates should also boycott the event.
