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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

A Gift For Golf Strong Showing In Junior Tour Gives Young Golfer Hope For Future In Sport

Virginia De Leon Staff Writer

More than anything else in the world, 16-year-old Shaun Murray wants to be a professional golfer.

After competing this winter with 300 of the nation’s best junior golfers, the West Valley High School junior could be on his way.

“It’s a lifelong game,” Murray said. “I love it. … You also make a lot of money.”

During the past four months, Murray has flown to Palm Springs, Calif., Mesa, Ariz., Daytona, Fla., and other warm spots to compete in the Junior Tour, a national program for young golfers sponsored by ESPN and Golfweek magazine.

He placed 27th overall.

“I was very, very happy with that,” Murray said. “Considering I can’t play all year-round like the ones from California or Arizona, that was really good for me.”

After playing at some of the country’s top golf resorts this winter, Murray is ready to start golf season in Spokane.

Murray and his 14-year-old brother, Robert, are both on West Valley High’s golf team, which started practicing this month. The team placed second in the Frontier League last year.

“Everyone’s trying to get their game back, but I feel like I’ve already got it since I’ve been playing this winter,” he said.

Last year, Murray won the Washington Junior Golf sub-district competition and went all the way to the state competition. His best score ever is a 67. He averages about 74 or 75 for 18 holes.

Although he’s only a junior in high school, Murray is already making college plans. He is looking for a golf scholarship and wants to attend either Hawaii Pacific University in Honolulu or Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif.

The son of an avid golfer, Murray took up golf when he was just 5 years old. His father, Mike, has been his only teacher and his biggest fan.

“Go out there and have fun,” was his father’s best advice, according to Murray.

His parents had to pay for the plane tickets and hotel rooms when Murray played the Junior Tour tournaments this winter. It cost his family about $4,500 to send him on the Junior Tour, he said.

“My parents are so proud of me,” said Murray. “They think I have the potential to go to college on a golf scholarship. They really believe in me and want the best for me.”

Golf is in the Murray family’s blood. Each summer, about 80 family members and friends from around the Northwest gather for a tournament they call the Murray Open. Shaun was last year’s champion, beating his father and uncles by about five or six strokes.

That, he said, was the best game of his life. “I actually beat my dad,” he said.

Murray thinks his golf swing is “pretty basic.” It’s all in the timing and momentum, he said. What makes him different from other golfers his age is practice. Weather permitting, Murray practices about two hours a day, five to six days a week at Liberty Lake or Hangman Valley golf course.

When he’s not golfing, Murray plays hockey, goes to parties and does homework. He had to skip a few days of school to play on the Junior Tour, so now he’s playing catch-up, he said. He also plans to start working part-time at the Fore Seasons indoor golf dome.

When he graduates from college, Murray wants to move to Palm Springs, Calif., to play golf. He would like to play on the PGA tour, he said.

“I love golf,” Murray said. “A lot of people think it’s just hitting a white ball around. It takes a lot of practice. You have to be self-motivated, you have to think. It teaches you to be very, very patient.”