Murphy makes strong start at Asian Tour Q-School as he bids to put nightmare behind him

John Murphy: Credit ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan

Kinsale’s John Murphy is confident he can put two years of “anguish” and “a lot of pain” behind him as he looks to clinch his Asian Tour card in Thailand.

The former Walker Cup star, who opened with a one under 69 to share 10th at Pattana Sports Resort in the race for 22 spots in the Final Stage later this month, moved seamlessly onto the DP World Tour at the end of 2022. when he clinched his card at the qualifying school.

It’s been something of a nightmare for the talented Cork man since then as he lost his way technically with his swing and missed 36 of his last 42 cuts.

In fact, counting 2022, when he played mainly on the Challenge Tour, Murphy (26) has made just 11 cuts the last three years.

But after seeing some light at the end of the tunnel recently when he took his retooled swing to the Alps Tour Qualifying School and secured status for 2025, he’s looking to build confidence in Thailand over the next few weeks and earn some Asian Tour playing rights and more options next year.

“It does affect you,” Murphy said of his difficult journey in the professional ranks and the horror of missing cut after cut.  

“I mean, there's been many a lonely Friday night sitting in a hotel room. You're just contemplating, you're confused, you’re a bit bewildered by the whole thing.

"There's a lot of a lot of anguish, a lot pain. And I suppose that does naturally take its effect on you as a person.”

Did he contemplate quitting?

“Yeah, pretty much every, every Friday night the past two years,” he confessed.

Given his natural talent, Murphy knows the good golf is in there somewhere and he’s looking to bring it out again after taking steps to get back to swinging the club the way he did when he first turned professional.

“I’m very fortunate in the sense that I’ve a very positive outlook on life,” he said. “I’ll always find a way to pick myself up and persevere and go again. And I think that's something that's definitely going to stand with me going forward because I feel like this game has tried to push me many a time, and tried to get me to maybe give in and try something else. But it's not something I'm up for doing it.  

“I’m very confident in the fact that if I can keep doing the right things, keep working with the right people and keep picking myself back up after tough days, that will all pay off in the end and it'll make all those days feel all the more worth it.”

Murphy isn’t the only Irish player trying to get back where he believes he belongs.

Former DP World Tour card holders Kevin Phelan, Paul Dunne and Niall Kearney as well as Declan Kenny and Michael Young will be in action in Asian Tour Q-School pre-qualifiers in Thailand next week.

They are seeking spots in the Final Stage at Lakeview Resort & Golf Club in Hua Hin from December 17-21 where the top 35 after five rounds will earn Asian Tour cards for 2025.

Murphy joined Young, Liam Nolan, Marc Boucher and Hugh Foley in earning playing rights at the Alps Tour Q-School last month.

But he sees Asia as an another opportunity to further his career after gaining confidence in Italy.

“It was good to test out the changes that I've been making under pressure,” he said of his swing, admitting he didn’t do enough technical maintenance as he continued to play week after week.

“I also guarantees having that card there if I did need it but I will weigh up all options at the end of the year and see where we lie.

“It's so easy to get very invested in where you're playing and and the tour that you're on. But like I've said this a few times recently, I'd much prefer to be playing amateur golf, feeling comfortable with my swing in my game, than playing on the European Tour or PGA Tour and feeling like I'm struggling.

“So I think priority for me right now is just to get my game back to the place where I'm feeling comfortable and confident in what I'm doing and in what I'm working on, and I'm sure the rest will look after itself

“I'm not going to get too caught up in where I'm playing and more so how I'm playing and the process that I'm putting in place.  

“That’s what's really important for me right now, because it said it's been a tough couple years in terms of results, and I've definitely been too invested in that at times.  “So kind of going back to the drawing board now and going back to the process, as opposed to the results, that’s very important for me at the moment.”

While he turned 26 in the summer, Murphy believes he still has time to make the grade and looks to Seamus Power, who played on the mini tours for several years before making it to the PGA Tour five years after he turned pro in 2011.

“You can hit your peak at 18, or you can hit your peak at 38 you know, it's just funny the way it goes,” he said.
“So you never quite know what's around the corner. Even using Seamus as an Irish example, it’s brilliant to see him maintain his place in recent years, having taken so long to get there.

“That’s certainly a spark of motivation for plenty Irish players who are potentially not where they want to be”

John Ross Galbraith was the best of the Irish after round one, carding a two-under 68 to share eighth place.

Ignatius McGuinness was 72nd after a 76.