Sir Andy Murray has thrown himself into a new hobby since hanging up his tennis racket, leading his kids to believe he had turned pro in a new sport, given his obsession
Tom Sunderland Sports Writer
08:59, 07 Oct 2025
Andy Murray’s kids are convinced he has turned into a pro golfer after his tennis retirement(Image: John Phillips/Getty Images)
Tennis great Andy Murray has followed in the footsteps of many fellow athletes by taking up golf as a hobby since his retirement. The two-time Wimbledon champion has spent so much time on the links that his children were convinced he had embarked on a new sporting career.
It’s not uncommon for ex-athletes to hit the fairways when they have more time on their hands. And Murray has been demonstrating the extent of his skills with a club in hand after competing in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship pro-am event.
Speaking prior to the tournament, Murray revealed just how far his obsession has gone. And the Scot, whose handicap had dropped to 2.4 heading into the tournament, has seemingly lost none of his appetite for competition despite closing the door on his tennis career.
“My kids think I’m a golfer,” he told The Times. “They say, ‘Daddy, why do you play every day?’ I didn’t really play for 12 years because I had a back operation in my mid-twenties and I was sore when I practised.
“Thankfully, it’s been pretty good since I finished – I think tennis was the main issue – and I just really enjoy it. I guess it has filled a bit of a void.
“It is something to practise and get better at and there are so many different parts of the game you can work on, and I don’t find that boring. If I don’t have any commitments, I’ll arrive at 9am and stay there until I have to pick the kids back up from school.”
Murray tied for 18th in the Alfred Dunhill Links pro-am(Image: 2025 Getty Images)
Many fans have been overawed to see just how competent Murray is in his new craft. He was partnered with two-time DP World Tour event-winner Eddie Pepperell at St Andrews and tied for 18th in a field of 168 pairings.
Murray’s performance over this past weekend included a 70-foot hole-in putt to par the par-four 13th hole. However, it wasn’t enough to top the billing among the celebrity cast in Scotland, with the likes of Piers Morgan, Michael Douglas and namesake Bill Murray finishing above him on the leaderboard after Day 3 was cancelled due to Storm Amy.
The three-time Grand Slam champion shares four children with wife Kim, four daughters and a son. And despite his new golf obsession, it appears the kids are getting plenty of face time with their father after he prioritised family in light of his retirement.
Typically, it doesn’t appear as though Murray is content with playing golf as a casual. And he has even revealed his aspirations to one day qualify for The Open and stake his claim on major silverware in a second discipline.
Content cannot be displayed without consent
“A couple of my friends who are very good golfers have done it,” he said. “If I can improve enough, I think it would be a fun thing to do. I played in the club championships at Beaverbrook a few months ago and I loved it.
“It was the most fun I’d had playing golf and the more I play, the less I enjoy just playing socially. I don’t know if I’ll be capable of entering, but I want to try and play in a few more events.”
It’s to be expected that an ex-pro athlete with Murray’s motivation might struggle to play any sport for fun alone. And his children already appear to be under the impression golf has got its claws into their dad.
