Bill Murray is a huge draw wherever he goes, embodying everything anyone could ever ask from a professional celebrity. He’s given speeches at bachelor parties for grooms he doesn’t know. He’s crashed engagement photos, because who wouldn’t want legendary comedian Bill Murray in their engagement photos and no I’m not joking that should be a litmus test for anyone out there looking to get married.
When he plays in a PGA Tour Pro-Am, he gets his own photo gallery and video highlights on the Tour’s website, because he’ll invariably end up doing something hilarious like rip on Iowa Hawkeyes fans for no particular reason.
Over the last few decades, Murray has done as much for golf as he has for comedy. This week, before playing in the Gardner Heidrick Pro-Am at the 2015 BMW Championship, Murray and his five brothers were honored for their contributions to the game.
Actor Bill Murray and his five brothers – whose experiences as caddies at Indian Hill Club in Winnetka inspired the 1980 comedy classic, “Caddyshack” – were inducted into The Caddie Hall of Fame on Wednesday night at the 2015 BMW Championship following their participation in the Gardner Heidrick Pro-Am at Conway Farms Golf Club in Lake Forest, Illinois.
Administered by the Western Golf Association since 2007, The Caddie Hall of Fame highlights the tradition and importance of caddying by recognizing individuals who have devoted their lives to the game of golf through caddying or by supporting the role of caddies.
Now, look, there are a lot of halls of fame. There are probably, one might say, too many halls of fame, but any kid who grew up with the dream of slinging a rich guy’s bag around for half a day in hopes of getting a crisp twenty at the end of the round probably spent his summers hoping to one day make it into the Caddy Hall of Fame, even if the place didn’t exist until a few years ago.
Per the Western Golf Association release, the Murray brothers join an illustrious list of caddies already in the hall.
Bill Murray said, “It’s an ability to look at a player when he hits a bad shot and go ‘ehhhh….. it happens.’ And when he hits a good shot, you go, ‘well, that’s really who you are.’”
The Murray Brothers join the likes of Tom Watson, Chick Evans and Jack Nicklaus in The Caddie Hall of Fame.
“What an honor to be included with Old Tom Morris, Frances Ouimet, Fluff Cowan and all that crowd,” Ed said.
“I’m just afraid they’re going to make me caddie again,” Bill joked.
Surely golf fans prefer Murray swinging his own clubs at Pro-Am events over carrying someone else’s bag. Though I will say if the opportunity ever presented itself for Murray to be on the bag of someone like Gary Woodland, it would be too perfect to pass up.
Per Brett Smiley at Fox Sports, this is the 35th anniversary of the release of Caddyshack, and while the clothes may be a bit outdated, the movie holds up miraculously well after all these years, surely worthy of Caddie Hall of Fame honors. And for all the memorable characters Murray has played in his illustrious acting career, Carl Spackler may be his most memorable, even if it did show Murray’s “killing side.”
Though I will say, because of Caddyshack, I’ve never eaten a Baby Ruth in my entire life.
Comments are closed.
About Dan Levy
Dan Levy has written a lot of words in a lot of places, most recently as the National Lead Writer for Bleacher Report. He was host of The Morning B/Reakaway on Sirius XM's Bleacher Report Radio for the past year, and previously worked at Sporting News and Rutgers University, with a concentration on sports, media and public relations.