How Wimbledon hero Andy Murray could enter qualifying for The Open – but must pay £200 fee
The two-time Wimbledon champion retired from tennis last summer after a legendary career.
3
Andy Murray could try and qualify for next year's Open
Credit: Alamy
But since hanging up his racquet, he has dusted off his golf clubs instead.
And he has enjoyed a stunning year on the course by getting his handicap down to a reported 1.9.
Murray, 38, shows not signs of slowing down in his pursuit of getting to scratch.
He beat Carlos Alcaraz in their three-match mini-series during the Spaniard's run to the Wimbledon final.
READ MORE ON THE OPEN
HARRY PUTTER Thomas tries casting spell on ball in desperate attempt to nail birdie putt
And if he can get his handicap to 0.4 - and stump up the £200 fee - he could enter regional qualifying for next year's 154th Open at Royal Birkdale.
Ex-Premier League footballers Jimmy Bullard and Peter Odemwingie both gave it a go in 2025 but did not progress.
But Ryder Cup hero Ludvig Aberg threw his full support behind Murray's golf game.
The Swede, 25, said: "He brings it up really nicely with the hands.
CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS
"The club face is quite neutral, so it's not going to be biased whether he hits a draw or a fade.
"Considering it's someone who played tennis at this level, it's pretty stinking good.
Awkward moment fart noise stuns Open commentators into silence before pair burst out laughing
"In any sport or any profession, whether it's golf or tennis or something else, you need to spend time on it.
"The technique of golf is quite tricky, naturally, so you do need to spend a lot of time on it."
Aberg - who shot a four-under 67 to move to -2 after round two of The Open - added to the Daily Mail: "Hey, that swing was really good! Like it was really, really good!
"Man, I was impressed!
"They told us to be as honest as we can but I just didn't know what to say.
"I think he's going to be able to play really good golf in the future."
3
Ludvig Aberg was singing Murray's praises after watching his swing
Credit: Getty
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
7 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Benjamin Sesko responds to Man Utd interest as striker reveals transfer preference
Manchester United are very keen to add a new striker to their squad this summer with RB Leipzig star Benjamin Sesko emerging as a candidate for the Red Devils Manchester United's chances of signing Benjamin Sesko have been handed a huge boost with the forward left 'impressed' by the Red Devils. Ruben Amorim 's side are keen on adding a new striker to their squad this summer after a woeful season last time out. A number of forwards have already been linked including Viktor Gyokeres - albeit he has now completed a move to Premier League rivals Arsenal. Sesko has now emerged as a back-up option, with the Slovenian having caught the eye for RB Leipzig over recent seasons. Newcastle are also interested, with Sesko seen as a potential replacement for Alexander Isak, who has been linked with a move to Liverpool. But the Red Devils have moved to the front of the queue with the striker's own stance on a move. According to Sky in Germany, United chiefs have already been in touch with Sesko to lay out their project. They have also proposed figures to his representatives ahead of potentially launching talks with Leipzig. Luckily for United, Sesko has responded well, having been left impressed by what the Red Devils had to say. There is still some work to do on a deal though, with Leipzig wanting around £64m for their star forward. Meanwhile, boss Amorim has already spoken about what he wants from his new signings. He said: 'They have to want to come here. I think what we can do to the fans is that we want players who have proved [themselves] already. 'Sometimes you have a player with a lot of potential, you have to be aware of that, but all the players that are coming, we need to know the player. We need to talk to the player, we have to explain the project. 'And then one really important thing is that they want to come here. That is the key point. If during the market we can find someone that can help the team and have all that boxes with them, we are going to do it. If not, we cannot do it because it's an important time in our club.' Would Benjamin Sesko be a good signing for Manchester United? Share your thoughts in the comments below Sesko, who has scored 39 goals for Leipzig over the past two seasons, has already revealed what could help him make a decision - a potential new club's style of play. Speaking after he signed for Leipzig, he said: "The thing is, I wasn't really involved in these kinds of conversations, but I think it was better to come here. "It was very important for me to go to a place that plays a similar style of football. I already knew what I had to do and didn't have to go through a whole learning process again." He doubled down on that stance after penning a new contract with the German side last summer. He said: 'Leipzig has given me a lot and continues to give me a lot every day. It's a great club to develop at. In the future, I want to play for a club that suits me, that brings out the best in me. That's the most important thing for me.' Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Metro
37 minutes ago
- Metro
Everton exploring moves for Jack Grealish and former Arsenal and England star
Everton are eyeing up some big signings before the Premier League season gets underway, with a loan move for Jack Grealish on their agenda. The Toffees have already brought in Thierno Barry from Villarreal and goalkeeper Mark Travers from Bournemouth but want to do plenty more business. With the likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Abdoulaye Doucoure, Mason Holgate and Ashley Young all leaving on free transfers, the squad is looking quite thin. The Independent report that Grealish is on Everton's shopping list and they fancy their chances of bringing in the Manchester City man on loan. The £100m man is thought to want to stay in the north of England to maintain stability with his family and Everton think they can tempt him to their project under new ownership and in their new stadium. Manchester City may want to sell him on a permanent deal, though, as he clearly has no future under Pep Guardiola after not being taken to the Club World Cup this summer. As long as he get up to full fitness, Grealish would be seen as a key player with the Toffees, which he has not been at the Etihad. Grealish has also been linked with a return to former club Aston Villa and a switch to join Italian champions Napoli. TalkSPORT report that Everton are also tracking former Arsenal and England utility man Ainsley Maitland-Niles. The 27-year-old has been with Lyon since 2023, moving to the French club when his contract expired at the Emirates. He has played regularly for Lyon over the last two seasons, making 73 appearances in all competitions, but with the club in a perilous financial position, offers will be considered. Maitland-Niles won five caps for England in 2020 under Gareth Southgate and can play at full back and across midfield. More Trending A number of players have already left Lyon this summer, including Rayan Cherki to Manchester City, Lucas Perri to Leeds, and both Alexandre Lacazette and Said Benrahma going to Neom. The Toffees are also in talks over a deal for another of Les Gones' star players, negotiating a move for Malick Fofana. The 20-year-old Belgium international scored 11 goals in all competitions last season, with Lyon reportedly wanting around £40m for his signature. The versatile forward is also on the radar of Liverpool as their summer spending spree continues. MORE: Ex-Arsenal star set for Premier League return after Aaron Ramsdale and Granit Xhaka MORE: Chelsea preparing opening transfer bid to beat Arsenal to £60m star MORE: William Saliba warns Premier League rivals over 'scary' Arsenal signing
Scotsman
37 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Willie Collum reveals stance on Scottish football goalline technology and in-game VAR announcements
SFA head of referees says onus on clubs to put infrastructure in place Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Scottish football officials would be ready to explain their decisions live to supporters "within months" of clubs giving in-match comms the green light, according to the game's head of referees Willie Collum. Amid reports last week that Premier League matches in England for the 2025/26 season are set to feature referees explain major VAR decisions on a mic to the crowd, Collum revealed that officials north of the border could be trained swiftly so that they could do the same and did not rule out such an innovation being brought in midway through a season. However, he stressed that Premiership teams would need to get infrastructure in place first before he could move forward with his team of officials. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Collum said he would also welcome the implementation of goalline technology within the Scottish top flight after controversial decisions last season involving Celtic, Rangers and Hibs, but reiterated that it would cost "a substantial amount of money". Scottish FA head of refereeing Willie Collum. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group) | SNS Group / SFA Speaking ahead of the league season starting this weekend, Collum said: "We've certainly been speaking to the clubs about other aspects of technology, goalline technology being one of them. We've also been speaking to the clubs about in-stadium comms. It's financial. The decisions are financial. We need the clubs to make those decisions. "What I would say is that I would have open arms to any of these. We would certainly embrace them. But I also want to say something else and I'm not paying this lip service, I want to be really honest: we won't use a lack of something as an excuse for anything. We'll do the best we can with the resources we have got. But we won't say we think the ball is out, we've told the referees that we want factual evidence, conclusive evidence to prove a decision. Would we embrace goalline technology, would we embrace stadium comms? Absolutely. But I'll be honest and say I don't think that's a decision directly for me." Enhacing in-game experience Asked directly if we are getting closer to either goalline technology or in-stadium comms, Collum continued: "I think we are closer. I think we've had good discussions with the clubs. Let's take the in-stadium comms, when the referee goes to the monitor and can make an announcement - you're enhancing transparency even more. You know I'm about that - even more people are seeing it. We're also taking into cognisance about what clubs are saying and the in-stadium experience for fans. We want to support that as well. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad "We don't think [it would cost a fortune]. We've already been doing a bit of work in the background looking at costing and whatever for that. We would welcome it. We think that's doable. With goalline technology, it's doable, you can bring it in - but it would cost a substantial amount of money." Referee Nick Walsh checks the VAR monitor during a match between Rangers and Hibs at Ibrox last season. | SNS Group Introducing in-game comms would likely involve a smaller investment, although it would be dependent on each club. "It's hard for me to say," Collum said on finances. "That's the reality because you'd need to look at stadium infrastructure. Say you go to Aberdeen or Motherwell, they might have two completely different tannoy systems, and it would be about how much fibre you need to put in, for example. So it would be crazy for me to put a ballpark figure on it." Nevertheless, Collum believes referees could be ready to broadcast their decisions to the public not long after the clubs give the OK. "So if clubs gave us the green light for it financially, we would train the referees immediately," said Collum. "In England, they trained the referees and it's not as simple as people think, going to the monitor and making an announcement. You've got to get the wording right, about selling decisions, but we would move fast with that. If we get a green light for that, we would introduce it within a season even. I don't mean within a season meaning next season, I mean we would be happy to introduce it in a current season. Asked if he could have it in place within months, Collum replied: "One hundred per cent." Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Referee John Beaton arrives ahead of a William Hill Premiership match between Hearts and Rangers at Tynecastle last season. (Photo by Mark Scates / SNS Group) | SNS Group 'Humanising' referees Collum believes referees being more open to supporters will help "humanise" them. Since taking up his role at the SFA a year ago, the 46-year-old former official has held a monthly VAR show and is hellbent on making sure fans see a different side to officials. "People just see us running about a pitch on a Saturday and they don't know us as individuals," said Collum. "But we're people like all of us - they love football. We love refereeing. But I think these things have helped humanise refereeing a bit better. We do a lot on trying to promote. We've got really good videos about promoting women's refereeing. The video we have just now is showing female referees in their outfits that they are wearing for their job, in terms of us being nurses, police officers. We want to humanise referees, we want to encourage people into the game. So we think these are good strides.
