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ATX Pointers For WGC Dell Match Play Participants & Spectators

The PGA Tour is set to get it done Austin-style this week—in town a second-consecutive year for the WGC Dell Match-Play, getting underway Wednesday at Austin Country Club.

Having spent time on the road at several Tour events the past few years, we’ve relied on the advice of friends and locals to always steer us towards the best a town has to offer. William Murray calls Austin, Texas home and for our friends on and around the Tour—a few suggestions for you while you’re looking for fun in our spirited city.

Austin Country Club is a good dozen miles northwest of the area William Murray calls home, so most of our suggestions will be based in this area. You’re also going to want to take advantage of your courtesy cars as well-known ride-sharing options pulled up there stakes and left a while ago. (It’s a long story, but should you be interested…)

Quick disclaimer; we’re coming off two weeks of SXSW and rolling right into a PGA Tour party week—so bear with us. Working to bounce back before situations escalate at ACC starting on Wednesday.

In no particular order:

— There’s a TopGolf in Austin. We realize there are over three dozen more locations nationwide, but the fact we have one in our backyard deserves mention. If you’re in from out of town to take in some WGC action and have never visited a TopGolf, it’s worth your time. Food and drinks, music and golf—firing at targets, focused on having fun instead of competition—the evening will fly by. Our location is less than ten miles from Austin Country Club.

— For the purist looking for a different experience, but not quite in the mood to commit half a day to playing 18 holes—the Butler Park Pitch and Putt has been an Austin tradition since 1950 and makes for a fun outing. The nine-hole “Butler Park” course features 805 yards of golf (from the longest tees for a par of 27). This par-3 course is near downtown Austin, the Hike and Bike Trail and Lady Bird Lake (all worth checking out, as well.) Not enough vintage spots like this exist in this day and age. Worth checking out for a twilight round if you have the time.

— Alamo Drafthouse Cinema is a must for the movie-buff. The chain began in Austin back in 1997 and part of its charm is old school etiquette—no babies, no talking or texting during the movie, no showing up late. Aware-winning cuisine, exceptional cocktails and the finest craft beers enhance your experience of taking in the latest and greatest films, as well as retro ones that occasionally make a comeback in 35mm. Check out any one of the handful of local locations. We’re fans of the location on Lamar Street and have done some damage at The Highball next door; especially in the private karaoke rooms. Garage Bar is also a stones throw from the area and is a worthwhile option to get things rolling. — Austin City Limits remains legendary and if you’re around through Sunday evening, Dave Chappelle—fresh off two new Netflix specials—is doing a week-long residency.  — The bar at the Driskill Hotel is our favorite spot to get an Old Fashioned. Worth posting up and knocking a few back.  — Texas BBQ is a must and we all have our favorites. Lamberts on 2nd Street never disappoints, while Frankin BBQ on 11th is a favorite of the man, the myth, the Murray. The Salt Lick is cash-only, so plan accordingly, while Rudy’s features a country store with some great rubs and sauces to bring home with you.  — A few non-BBQ food-related lunch or dinner gems worth mentioning; Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken, which lives up to it’s billing—as does Ramen Tatsu-ya. You won’t find a better slow-cooked broth for hundred of miles. If you’re on the go downtown, the walk-up Burger Bar on Congress is a game changer. Get it to go and pop over to the bar at the JW Marriott to knock down with a glass of bourbon at the bar. If you ask nicely, they’ll let you knock down a worthwhile snack with a refreshing cocktail.  — Regarding nightlife, for any ambitious players with late tee times, or fans skipping the early rounds in favor of a solid night out, sleeping in and a legit breakfast, again, some options. When choosing which direction to go nightlife-wise, you have a few options—West Sixth, Dirty Sixth or Rainey Street your best options. If you go the West route, we’re big fans of Dogwoods, Green Light Social, Steam Punk, Rustic Tap and Parlor and Yard. Dirty is a different beast all together. Casino El Camino is worth a fly-by—a monster burger with a decor and vibe that feels like something out of From Dusk Til Dawn, while The Blind Pig pours a stiff one, offers up some live music and had a legit rooftop patio. Buffalo Billiards is also over that way, should you want to get your stick on. Whistler is another spot featuring both character and characters.   If you take it to Rainey, good options are Bungalow, Container Bar, Luster Pearl, Bar 96, Javelina or Bangers—and you’re (sort of) right in the heart of food truck country, with countless evening or late-night grub options. 

— Dinner options are endless in Austin, but if looking for something other than beef, beef and more beef, we’re big fans of Uchi or Eberly. — Lastly, whether you’re looking for hangover breakfast after a dinner-less late night out, or a laid back way to start the day—some great breakfast options are available in ATX. 24 Diner is just what you’d expect (in a good way), while South Congress Cafe, June’s and Hillside Farmacy all deliver the goods. (Perlas also offers a solid weekend brunch.) Whatever direction you go, cheers to a great week in Austin. 

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Why a Fall Series PGA Tour Win is a Game-Changer for William Murray’s Pat Perez

It’s an explanation not necessary for the true golf enthusiast who spouts stats ad nauseam, or easily recalls epic moments from their mental sports Rolodex—but for the casual observer, why was a fall series event just outside Cancun such a game-changer for William Murray Golf’s first-endorsed athlete, Pat Perez? It starts with the fact that these under-the-radar fall series events carry as much weight as the muscle that’s around the corner in January when the PGA Tour’s west coast swing gets rolling. Perez’s victory at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba brought a hefty payday ($1.26M) as well as the standard allotment of FedExCup points; 500 for the winner.

Fall will forever be synonymous with football season, but that doesn’t change the fact the PGA Tour created the ultimate game-changer—a mini-season for pros who want to get a leg up on the competition before things get popping in January. Lots of great players signed on for events in Malaysia, Napa, Las Vegas, Playa del Carmen and Sea Island, but few seized the moment like Perez.

For those not completely familiar with the William Murray ambassador’s backstory; the Cliff Notes’ version.

Perez turned pro back in 1997, a year after winning a national championship with the Sun Devils at Arizona State. From there, a few years on the Web.com Tour (formerly the Nationwide and Buy.com prior to), where Perez nabbed his first professional win in 2000. After failing to earn his Tour card at Q-school months later, Perez vowed to never come up short again—stuck grinding on the Canadian Tour in 2001 and playing just about any event he earned a invite to; at one point driving from San Diego to Vancouver, hooking a u-turn when getting a spot in an east coast tourney and flying across the country immediately. From early on, the work ethic was undeniable.

When Q-school rolled around the following year, Perez showed up in South Florida and won the whole thing, earning medalist honors. In his fourth event on the PGA Tour, he almost won Pebble Beach and settled for second. Winless for his first seven seasons, that inaugural win came in Palm Springs back in 2009. Until a few weeks ago, he hadn’t won since—but impressively kept his PGA Tour card 15 consecutive season; damn near an impossibly feat when winless for so long.

A torn labrum sidelined Perez in March; a gnawing pain that plagued him last year at Mayakoba—though a cocktail of stubbornness, pride and determination had him sticking to his standard formula of pressing on and grinding away. After a rough west coast swing and one Florida event, the pain proved too much to bear. Perez finally sought treatment, learned the degree of his injury, put his season ice and scheduled surgery days later. A lengthy recovery process followed; leaving a newly 40-year old seasoned veteran wondering what was in store.

Nine months on the shelf and a lot of down time with self—hardly the norm for a professional athlete who spends over half his year living out of a bag on the road. An identity somewhat lost, the obsessive Perez needed to rediscover himself—alone on a desolate range and a seemingly a lifetime away from the weekly competition necessary to keep the juices flowing. Perez hunkered down in quiet Payson, Arizona—a second home purchased years back for practice purposes as the higher elevation results in a 20˚ temperature drop from hometown Scottsdale when summer temps reach triple digits.

The hard work and solitude only lasts so long; eventually it’s time to tee it up again—which Perez did, having earned a sponsor’s invite to the CIMB Classic in Malaysia. Nerves were firing during Thursday’s opening round, despite playing this quirky game professionally for the majority of his life. Truth be told, one isn’t human if the adrenaline isn’t at an all-time high. Even the great Tiger Woods will feel the same thing when teeing it up in the Bahamas next week.

Perez carded a 74, but responded with a strong 67 on Friday and went 71-68 per the weekend for a T33 finish. Weeks later, a trek to Sin City for the Shriners Hospital for Children Open at TPC Summerlin; distraction-filled Las Vegas always making for an interesting Tour stop. This time around—on the heels of nine down months—Perez was laser-focused and all business.

Back-to-back rounds of 66 got things moving and a 69-68 weekend resulted in a T7 finish; Perez flirting with the top but unable to catch the leader. Still, five consecutive rounds in the 60’s (dating back to Malaysia) confirmed to Perez that he was closer to back then he expected to be two events in. With one more fall event on his schedule—the laid-back OHL Classic at Mayakoba—a balls-out approach would be in full-force; something the veteran touched upon after closing strong on Sunday.

“I had an attitude that I can’t really repeat, but I had a lot of thoughts going on,” Perez explained in the media room. “I had an entirely different attitude than I would have had a few years ago. It was definitely a different win than last time. Last time, I was a little more scared coming down the stretch. I didn’t really believe and this and that. This time, I really had like this calmness, kind of like a madness to get it done.”

Those in-the-know regarding William Murray Golf caught the ZFG wink and nod regarding the attitude comment and newfound motivation. Perez changed the entire course of next year over four days and 72 hours south of the border mid-November.

Without the recent victory, Perez would’ve kicked off 2017 in Honolulu with a medical exemption and only 13 guaranteed starts where he needed to bank at least half a million bucks to earn back his Tour status. With the win, the season will start with a smaller field of winners from 2016 and Perez’s status is secure for three years. Elusive WGC (World Golf Championship) events are now a reality—as is a trek to Augusta next April when Perez will return to The Masters for third time in his career (and first since 2010). Perez also wraps the fall series 3rd in the FedExCup standings, with a 112th Official World Golf Ranking.

A dream scenario for a gutsy player doing a lot of soul-searching as recently as a month ago. Congratulations, Champ. 

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Pat Perez Returns to PGA Tour in Style

On paper, a T7 win at a fall series event in Las Vegas by a long time PGA Tour player. In reality, an incredible comeback story that will fully get it’s due when Pat Perez brings it home and again hoists a trophy on a Sunday afternoon.

To properly understand the magnitude of this recent Top 10 finish for the long-time Tour veteran, one has to go back to last fall and a rough fall series with missed cuts in Napa, Las Vegas and Cancun. Something was noticeably off, though the determined Perez worked to will himself healthy with a steady diet of Advil, ice packs, only-when-necessary Cortisone shots and extra rest over the holidays.

The annual west coast swing soon followed—the Southern California native again playing all six events to get a jump on the season—but the struggles continued. T81 in Honolulu, where Perez usually starts strong. Missed cuts in Palm Springs, San Diego and Phoenix, which also weren’t the norm.

T41 at Pebble Beach followed by no weekend play at Riviera—the pain continued, but so did Perez’s play. The Honda Classic is always an off week, on the heels of six straight—but Perez tacked on a seventh-consecutive event, hoping for a spark. Come Friday at PGA National in West Palm Beach, the exact opposite.

“I was hitting balls on Friday morning at the Honda; my seventh event in a row. I’m warming up around noon, I’m coming down and my hand is trembling—with a four iron—and it does it again; like three times,” Perez told Matt Adams of SiriusXM’s Fairways Of Life last April. "I looked over at my caddie H and I go, ‘We got a real problem here.’ I knew something was really wrong.”

Perez flew back to Scottsdale the following morning—sticking around Palm Beach on Friday night to support a local CHIVE event’s cause he’d previously committed to. Come Monday, an MRI and the un-welcomed news regarding a severe labrum tear, surgery, a lengthy recovery and an immediate end to his 16th consecutive season on the PGA Tour.

THE WAITING IS THE HARDEST PART

237 days spanned between that painful Friday round in Palm Beach and Thursday’s opening round at the CIMB Classic in Malaysia late October. Perez opened with a 74 at TPC Kuala Lumpur, but followed up with a Friday round of 67 and closed 71-68 on the weekend for T33. Even more important; proof for the kid that he still had it—the hard work paying off and his repaired body responding accordingly.

Nerves and a few errant shots definitely reared their ugly head at times over those 72 holes on the other side of the globe, but just knowing the shoulder could hold up was enough to let Perez know that something good was in store for Las Vegas and his first event on American soil in almost nine months.

Three-under after four holes on Thursday at TPC Summerlin, it was safe to say Perez was back—an air of confidence, mixed with a lightheartedness that had been missing too long. It’s something that anyone living in constant pain can attest to; the non-stop needling bleeding into your psyche and taking over your personality.

Grinning and bearing it becomes virtually impossible—especially when swinging a stick for a living and feeling an electrocuting shock every time contact is made.

Four-under with one remaining, play was on the verge of being suspended due to darkness. Perez had the option of finishing the par-five ninth hole (he started the day on No. 10), or showing up early Friday to warm up, close out and prep for round two.

The old Pat Perez chooses the former; frantically getting through the hole and arguably settling for par. Instead, Perez 2.0 called it—knowing the early-morning firmer greens would work to his favor. Come Friday morning, Perez his his third shot 52 feet to the green, left himself a four-footer for birdie, knocked it down and closed out an opening round 66—which he matched on Friday; closing strong with a 14’8” eagle putt on No. 16.

Saturday’s third round played a little tougher; Perez carding a 69 on “moving day”—even after 12, but birdying three of the day’s final six holes to put him in position to make a run on Sunday. Two-under after four in the final round, Perez was -3 at the turn and as it played out, would’ve needed to go five-under on the back nine to force a playoff.

Instead, he shot even—a bogey on the par-five thirteenth, followed-up by a brilliant second shot on the par-four fifteenth that set-up a 21” birdie putt to make up for the earlier mistake. Three pars on the way in closed out a final round 68—but more importantly proved to Perez that he’s recaptured (and improved upon) old form.

LEAVING LAS VEGAS; HOLA CANCUN

The clutch four days and Top 10 finish was also Perez’s best in Las Vegas in 11 tries. Perez missed the cut at the Sin City event six times over the years. Outside of that, finishes of T30 (2007), T24 (2008), T23 (2004) and T14 (2010), before last week’s career-best finish at TPC Summerlin.

As it goes in the PGA Tour world, no rest for the weary. On Monday, an event at Shadow Creek with the MGM Grand family—where Perez proudly boasted on social media that he spent the majority of the day “wearing out” comedian Cedric The Entertainer with 15-year old material from The Kings Of Comedy special. Come Tuesday morning, on a plane to Cancun for this week’s Tour event; the OHL Classic at Mayakoba, where Perez hit the ground running on Thursday morning with an opening round 68 that has him T20.

However things wind up south of the border, Perez already notched the win of his career by way of a successful fall series comeback. The stage is set for what looks to be an incredible 2017—trophies hoisted and validation that the seasoned veteran still has all the goods needed to remain a full-fledged force on the PGA Tour.

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William Murray Golf: Now Open for Business

We know what you’re thinking and the answer is “yes”, that William Murray.

Dr. Peter Venkman. Carl Spackler. Frank Cross. Herman Blume. Pvt. John Winger. Whatever memory the name instantly evokes by way of some iconic characters, add this new one to the list as Bill Murray (and his five brothers) now have a golf apparel line.

How did we get here? theCHIVE—the world’s largest humor website—got to know Bill and soon discovered a shared love of golf and desire to bring the right amount of irreverence and fun to the game. From there, a partnership was born.

For those who’ve seen Bill consistently steal the show at the annual AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am every year, two thing immediately jump out at you. A whimsical and loose personality that brings a much-needed lightness to one of the PGA Tour’s best events, as well as a true sense of style as Bill’s look couldn’t be further from the tucked-in polo and slacks favored by traditionalists.

Fashion has forever been important to Bill; his looks on and off the course always making him easily identifiable. When deciding to bring that style to the course, Team WMG put tremendous focus on the latest and greatest in golf apparel technology, believing that comfort is equally as important as style when teeing it up.

The final ingredient—those of you reading this piece.

Whether you’re a serious golfer chasing your club championship, a weekend hacker going out with your buddies to make some memories or a non-golfer who is into the lifestyle aspect of the brand—William Murray Golf was created to help you channel your inner Murray.

Cool-hand. Laid back. Sanguine. Confident. Embrace it all. Be chill like Bill.

There are countless golf and lifestyle apparel options available for different personality types, but none are tied to an icon that weaves through life while transcending generations. Anyone who has followed Bill Murray on the weekend at Pebble Beach can attest that his gallery always dwarves every other pairing at the event. Whether he’s atop the leaderboard or in dead last, no group out there is having more fun in the process. The large, rowdy crowd feeds off that—and understandably so.

The sport of golf is ripe for an injection of fun. Less elitism and exclusiveness. More embracing all types while taking things less seriously. It’s the William Murray way.

Courses nationwide are relaxing dress codes, allowing music on the course and embracing a more laid-back approach with 9-hole rounds, 15-inch cups and souped-up carts, while TopGolf has turned the traditional driving range experience into a full-blown rager.

The winds of change are blowing in this beloved sport and we’re attempting to play our part in the apparel space—creating a brand that compliments the newfound liveliness golf is currently experiencing, while inviting folks to be part of the new movement. By now you’ve noticed that the William Murray Golf logo is a silhouette of the legend himself dismissively tossing a club while strolling the fairways at Pebble Beach. Zoom in on Bill’s face and you’ll see that dismissive, nonchalant look.

Good shot? Bad shot? Doesn’t matter. Just get out there and enjoy yourself. Trust us, it's what Bill would want you to do.

Regarding the official William Murray Golf blog, rest assured this is only the beginning. We have lots to share and all the time in the world to do it.

Behind the scenes content with Bill and his brothers, to our thoughts on the state of golf, ways to make your round more-spirited and some behind-the-scenes on the PGA Tour through players and friends we’ve aligned with over the years—Team WMG promises to keep it fun, casual, irreverent, disruptive and informative. So we’ve got that going for us.

Welcome to William Murray Golf. William Murray Golf’s fall apparel line went on sale Thursday October 20th, 2016. Button downs and shorts will be available on November 15th, as well as some caps. For more information visit WilliamMurrayGolf.com. 

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Reaction To Tiger Woods’ Pull-Out Underscores Golf’s Search For A Savior

Golf’s search for its next savior continues. Who or what that is remains to be determined—but the obsession over Tiger Woods and any should-he-play-or-should-he-forego remains the ultimate tip of the hand that the game remains super-reliant on the return of its generation’s greatest player.

Three back surgeries over the past 20 months, no competitive golf in over year and a 786th world ranking; yet The Big Cat was still the toast of Napa regarding the under-the-radar, fall series Safeway Open and its lesser field.

While Woods committed to the event (to guarantee a spot), he never formally pledged his allegiance to the event at Silverado; saying nothing other than that he “hoped” to play. Citing that his game isn’t where he wants it to be, the 14-time major champion announced days back that his return to competitive golf will remain on hold for the foreseeable future.

Despite a lack of El Tigre in Northern California, it hasn’t changed the media’s narrative one bit—countless outlets chiming in on the subject matter from every angle.

As of Tuesday afternoon, GolfDigest.com’s homepage was almost Brangelina-like in its weighing-in on all things Woods. The headlines all had a common theme; “Can Tiger Be Saved?”, “The Grind: Tiger Plays With Our Emotions”, “Tiger Woods Withdraws From Safeway Open” and “Tiger’s Agent Explains Why Woods Withdrew”.

Also nestled in there, “Dustin Johnson Named Player Of The Year”—and deservedly so with Johnson winning three events this season, once a runner-up and two third place finishes; as well as cool 15 events where he was Top 10 in 22 tries. A compelling storyline with Johnson, cleaning up his off-the-course situation years back en route to a monster comeback this season and finishing second in the final FedExCup rankings—yet it still wasn’t enough to move the needle with the golf media and those tied to the sport in search of something more polarizing.

Despite playing his part on Team USA and helping America take the Ryder Cup trophy back from the Europeans, the most-newsworthy Johnson-related bit of information that weekend? His fiancé Paulina Gretzky—daughter of The Great One—taking a selfie with Captain Woods at the afterparty. Seriously.

None of that is intended to be knock; it’s merely an honest assessment of what the sport of golf is dealing with after Woods set the bar so high in the late nineties—heights that will never again be reached by way of traditional standards or an attempt at duplicating the past.

Between 1990 and 1996, total purses on the PGA Tour increased from $82-million to just over $100-million—an increase of a respectable 3.4%-per-year. By 2008, purses totaled $292-million; an increase of 9.3%-per-year since Woods joined the tour.

What many associated with the sport refer to as “The Tiger Effect”, roughly doubled the prize money—while Woods himself raked in over $110-million on-the-course over that same period.

Fast-forward to 2009 and Woods’ domestic-related matters and the numbers show purses decreasing by 2.3%-per-year since.

For the true numbers geek desiring to go down the Woods-inlfunence rabbit hole, Golf Digest delved deeper into the subject back in August and it’s a fascinating read.

For those who simply want to know what’s next, the problem doesn’t have to be all that complex—hit “reset” and look outward-in, opposed to inward-out.

The NBA faced a similar situation at the turn of the century when the Michael Jordan era was coming to a close—those around the league dubbing every up-and-comer “the next MJ”, yet no one ever measured up.

Golf is essentially doing the same thing; narrow-minded in its focus and search for “the next Tiger”, seemingly afraid to evolve and grow into the game’s next phase—which starts with accepting that there are some once-in-a-lifetime eras that will simply never be recreated.

Aside from his style of play, No. 23 also did it with a signature shoe; the Air Jordan changing everything apparel-wise in a sport that was at one time dominated by Chuck Taylors and short-shorts—while Woods elevated golf by bringing a Jordanesque attitude, approach and swag to a game that had none of that in the era prior to his arrival.

Regarding both Jordan and Woods, the diehards of each respective sport tuned for those must-see-TV eras—but the bigger impact of those two greats was their ability to pique the casual observer’s attention, resulting in universal appeal  and tremendous viewership. 

Chicago down a dozen on the road to Utah with five minutes left in the fourth quarter? Please. MJ’s got this—and His Airness would deliver. Tiger four back at the turn on a Sunday? Big deal. Woods and his red shirt would climb that leaderboard and win by three. It was a close to any guarantee you’d ever see in sports. The NBA has enough storylines present day for the casual fan to tune in and get on board, while golf is still looking for the answer to that riddle. This year’s energetic Ryder Cup certainly offered up a workable blueprint for future events—while the annual Phoenix Open has brought just enough rowdiness and off-course entertainment week-of to make it an irreverent spectacle, opposed to a typical tournament.

That doesn’t mean every Tour stop needs stadium-style seating, a gladiator-type colosseum and a full bar every hundred paces—but it does prove that if you deliver an entertaining experience, they will come. On some level, that buzz already started last year—the folks in Ponte Vedra Beach and golf media noticing the growing galleries around veteran PGA Tour player Pat Perez on a weekly basis. A longtime fan of humor website theCHIVE, Perez began adoring his staff bag with winks and nods to the site’s loyalists—which spread like wildfire on social media and grew his already-loyal fanbase. Questions were asked regarding the relationship; with icon Bill Murray immediately mentioned in the conversation due to his ties to theCHIVE, but no one was talking—that is, until earlier this year. In February it was announced that William Murray Golf would soon launch; the Murray brothers joining forces with theCHIVE to launch a lifestyle brand and Perez on board as the brand’s first PGA Tour ambassador. Golf Channel’s Matt Ginella was soon Austin-bound, ready to break the story.  “The William Murray line of golf; this is not as big as the Internet, but it's close,” Ginella shared, while taking a first-look at the new apparel line, months back. Coming full circle back to inside-out versus outside in and a question like, “Who is the next Tiger Woods?” There is no answer because that’s not the riddle anyone should be working to solve.

Figuring out how to put less precedence on selling the competitive aspect of Tour events and more emphasis on a better user experience—that should be the multi-million dollar query on the minds of today’s golf decision-makers; the answers potentially hiding in plain sight.  William Murray Golf’s Fall 2016 apparel line launches on October 20th, 2016. For more information, please visit WilliamMurrayGolf.com.

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Bartending, New Gear & Ryder Cup Mascot: What a Month to Be Murray

In just under three weeks, icon Bill Murray picked-up two shifts bartending, launched his own apparel line and found himself in the Ryder Cup team photo.

No one on the planet is coming off a better as-of-late run than Bill Murray. Not even Team USA on Sunday as it popped bottles and hoisted the trophy.

Over the past 17 days, the man, the myth, the Murray checked off some pretty epic bucket list-type items:

A two-day bartending stint in Brooklyn at his eldest son's neighborhood restaurant—followed by the announcement of a apparel brand bearing his proper name, which also happened to be his 66th birthday, as he got his game ready for the Ryder Cup.

Within days, the Hazeltine takeover was underway—on stage for the practice round and sliding into the background and role of super-fan, once off.

Just a guy from Wilmette, there with his brother, watching some golf and passionately rooting for the home team—at a time when his country could definitely use a jolt of something good.

The instant-classic battle with Team Europe opened with a win-it-for-Mr.-Palmer type energy—and signed off with Bill taking a healthy swig of Moët, handed to him by sometimes pro-am partner and a Masters' champion. Not a bad week.

In-between, Team USA played lights out—and the game had a bounce in its step that must carry over to future tournaments; especially those who welcome a more festive environment and livelier event-goer.

The obvious takeaway for the game's decision-makers; breathe some life into golf and the people will respond. (Your case study continues days later, a buzz from Sunday still in the air.)

Let's not forget this past week kicked off with a hometown heckler taking on a pro's challenge, draining the putt others couldn't and chest-bumping all of Team Europe in celebration before collecting his c-note and presumably heading to the bar to buy his crew a round—money won, always better than money earned and a story they’ll none soon forget.

Within minutes the underdog story went viral and resonated with those who can non-stop quote Caddyshack and longs to come across others who speak the same language.

The energy at Hazeltine made it clear; a little irreverence is good for the game.

Maybe the answer isn't inside-out; a belief that golf needs the next-whoever to have a Tiger-esque effect. Maybe golf’s answer is outside-in; a movement rooted in an attitude, lifestyle and energy—complete with its own cult hero.

Who better than a comedic icon that grew up with respect and reverence for the game—yet puts a premium on the importance of humor, as well?

The result is a reverent-irreverence.

When it was time to chant "America!" and get a rowdy call-and-response going —a passionate ringleader and biggest noisemaker.

When the home team raised the trophy—it was their moment; Bill from Wilmette outside the ropes, taking it all in, letting the winners bask in the glow, celebrating their moment.

Golf's answers are no longer coming from within, they're on the outside—and that's just fine. Embrace it. A movement has begun. How it'll all unfolds waits to be seen—but something is brewing and people are connecting with it.

The game is on the brink of finding its voice and it starts with more authentic golf moments like the ones William James Murray ignited this past week in Minnesota.

William Murray Golf’s Fall 2016 apparel line launches on October 20th, 2016. For more information, please visit WilliamMurrayGolf.com.

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History Behind “This Is The Year”

This is the year. It has to be the year, right? The dominance. The thrilling comebacks. The depth. The bullpen. The bats. The camaraderie between these boys of summer. On top of all that, how about the simple fact that the Murray tribe—by joining forces with theCHIVE to launch William Murray Golf—now has yet another tie to Chicago, as all parties involved possess a true heart for The Windy City. Staring at all of it through our blue pinstriped glasses, seriously, how can this not be the year? Building off that sentiment, welcome to an exclusive look at the first William Murray Golf polo. This baseball-inspired golf shirt will be available in limited quantities on Wednesday September 21st; a carefully-chosen date as this design is our birthday gift to Bill—the man, the myth, the Murray. 

This lightweight, moisture-wicking white polo features iconic blue pinstripes, a “WM” circle patch on the left sleeve and the WMG logo left chest. Four red buttons up front read, “William Murray Golf", while the left collar green eyelet sports the “Murray Brothers” name. 

We’ve also included our subtle nod to the Murray family tartan; one of the most-unique aspects of our line. The colorful tartan was worked into the interior of the collar, as well as an understated patch on the right sleeve exterior. Chicago sports are as important to the Murray brothers as golf, humor, music and family—and with the good guys putting together a season for the ages, no better time to roll this out than here and now with a spirited October on the horizon.  This shirt is also an homage to one of the greatest cities in the world and a loyal community that has embraced theCHIVE since day one. You early adopters and loyalists know who you are—and we certainly haven’t forgotten. “This Is The Year” is for you, as well. Wear it proud, Chi-Town. 

As will be the spirit with William Murray Golf—expect a revolving door or irreverent, fashionably-designed one-offs. Translation; when you see something you like, get on board with the first go-around, because there isn’t going to be a second. WMG has more designs in the queue than we know what to do with—meaning the only way to see more creations is with short-runs of speciality designs such as this.   What started out a surprise gift for Bill, took on a whole new life when this turned into a magical spring and summer run on the North Side. Here’s your chance to get a little sliver of history just before the intensity of late October sets in. Red, White and Blue, quality golf apparel and America’s Pastime all rolled into one. We give you, “This Is The Year”.