Ole Miss golf course’s Murphy selected for Ryder Cup groundskeeping crew

Published 12:50 pm Friday, September 21, 2018

Steven Murphy took a chance and it has landed him an experience of a lifetime.

The assistant superintendent of the Ole Miss golf course was selected to be a member of the Ryder Cup groundskeeping crew next week in France. Murphy will help maintain the Albatros Course at the Le Golf National in Paris for the 42nd edition of the United States vs. Europe event.

The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) selected 10 superintendents from the United States and Canada to help maintain the course. Murphy submitted his resume and other information and awaited word from the GCSAA. He was chosen out of over 400 applicants earlier this year.

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Europe’s association also selected 10 superintendents to assist in the international competition.

“It’s a tremendous honor and I’m really lucky to have it,” Murphy said.

For Murphy, finding his way to Oxford and the Ole Miss golf course was by making a decision to improve on his education; not to mention a little of the ‘Velvet Ditch’ effect the town has been known for.

After graduating from Clemson with a degree in turf management, Murphy chose to come to graduate school at Ole Miss for an MBA. With Murphy’s goal to be a superintendent himself, he knew he needed more than the undergrad degree he already possessed.

“Oxford is such a good, small town, sort of like Clemson. It’s kind of hard not to come to Oxford and not want to stick around,” Murphy said. “I’ve stayed for five years longer than I thought I was going to.”

Murphy was a student worker at Clemson’s golf course and worked his way up to being the assistant superintendent by the time he graduated. The logical step was to come to Ole Miss’ golf course where he used the same career path.

Since graduating from Ole Miss, Murphy, 29, has been the assistant superintendent.

Going to Paris is a trip mixed with business and pleasure. Scheduled to arrive in the City of Lights today, Murphy and the crew will begin setting up the on Monday for 24 of the world’s best golfers. The event begins on Friday and runs through Sunday, Sept. 30.

Murphy said he wants to take full advantage and soak up as much information as he can to help further improve Ole Miss’ golf course while working at the Ryder Cup.

“I’m hoping to get a lot out of it and bring back here, to Oxford,” Murphy said. “We have a golf course here that we’re extraordinarily proud of and I hope the other people of Oxford are proud of this place. Golf just isn’t as big as it needs to be in North Mississippi and the Memphis area and I’m just hoping to bring back some tools to make our course better, our folks better.”