Andy Murray is relatively new to the golf circuit and has embraced golf enthusiastically since retiring from tennis. He has teamed up with Eddie Pepperell at Sunningdale in Surrey, a partnership that previously saw them paired together at last year's Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, where they secured a tied 18th-place finish at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Pro-Am competition. Gareth Bale is partnering with Matthew Wylie at Sunningdale for a second time.
Eddie Pepperell has courted controversy with his behaviour on and off the course, including receiving a suspension from his home venue, Frilford Heath in Oxfordshire, after damaging a green. He recounted his version of events to PING's A Round with Radar following his ban, stating, 'It was the club championship, I think it was the second round. ' He added, 'This was the second day and I was doing quite well but struggling on the green, which was standard for me at Frilford.
It was the club championship, I think it was the second round. It became a 54-hole [tournament], Green course, Blue course, Red course.
I had like a four-foot birdie putt and missed it and the red steam... ' Pepperell noted, 'I think I'd only done it six or seven times in my life up to that point, but this time I got caught. I did do a great reparation job, I will say.
' He also said, 'You could barely see what had happened afterwards, but the group behind did come and notice it and then they pulled it up and took a photo and made it look much worse than it was. ' Eddie Pepperell became embroiled in an online dispute with Bryson DeChambeau, taking exception to what he perceived as sluggish play from Bryson DeChambeau at the Northern Trust Open. Pepperell commented, 'Just look at Tommy [Fleetwood] and Justin [Thomas], both looking completely bored.
This was the second day and I was doing quite well but struggling on the green, which was standard for me at Frilford. I had like a four-foot birdie putt and missed it and the red steam... The red mist descended and I gave it one of those.
Slow players do this to their playing partners, making the game less enjoyable. ' Bryson DeChambeau responded to Eddie Pepperell's remarks, saying, 'Eddie Pepperell, not fair to say. ' The exact dates and results of the Sunningdale Foursomes tournament have not been disclosed.