ANDY MURRAY BREAKS GOLF'S GOLDEN DRESS CODE RULE ON DEBUT AT BMW CHAMPIONSHIP PRO-AM

Andy Murray played the BMW Championship Pro-Am at one of the most prestigious golf courses in the country - Wentworth - but seemingly forgot one of the sport's golden rules during his round.

The retired three-time Grand Slam tennis champion is not the first to fall foul of golf's long list of guidelines, though he was one of the only players at the event sporting an untucked shirt.

It is customary for men to tuck their shirts in and a selection of Tour professionals who haven't, have faced backlash from certain super-strict fans.

American star J.J. Spaun felt the wrath of some while playing with an untucked shirt at the Sentry Tournament of Champions last year, with a mob of traditionalists on social media angered at a pro player failing to adhere to one of the game's long-standing rules.

Murray is unlikely to face as much scrutiny for his slip-up at Wentworth, where celebrities competed alongside one another in front of the thousands who lined the course to catch a glimpse. Cricket legend James Anderson and Hollywood actor Tom Holland were among the other big names to turn out.

Playing off a handicap of seven, Murray is no slouch on the golf course. But he admits it was nerve-jangling swapping the tennis racket for a set of golf clubs with the eyes of the world watching.

"It's a different sort of nerves to tennis," he explained. "I'm not thinking I'm going to walk out on a tennis court and forget how to hit the ball. Whereas here, you're sort of nervous about - there's people standing like five metres away from where I'm driving, and I'm like, I'm useless at this game. I still enjoy competing. Obviously it's never going to replace what you had on the tennis court, but this stuff is fun."

Murray was spied picking the brains of fellow Scot Robert MacIntyre, who boasts two top-10 major finishes, on his way around Wentworth. And the 28-year-old was impressed by the way Murray was able to turn his hand to a different sport.

"Andy is a hero to so many people in Scotland - and across the world - and it's pretty exciting to be playing alongside him in his BMW PGA Championship debut," he said.

"He's been absolutely dedicated to tennis during his incredible career, but it looks like he's been playing plenty of golf since his retirement, so I'm looking forward to seeing if all that practice has paid off."

2024-09-18T17:57:00Z dg43tfdfdgfd