Golf: Murph the Girth

To the dismay of television producers, all touring golf pros do not look like Arnold Palmer or Doug Sanders. In fact, a great many of them roundly defy the pat promotional image of the lean, handsome man-about-the-links. Stoutness is not only stylish on the tour these days, it seems to be a prerequisite for success. Witness Jack Nicklaus, Julius Boros and Lee Trevino, who have together won five tournaments this year and a combined total of $391,802. It is enough to make Minnesota Fats want to trade in his cue for a niblick.

Newest moonface to shine is Bob Murphy, 25, a 5 ft. 10 in., 210-lb. redhead who last week rolled and scrambled to a sudden-death triumph over Oklahoman Labron Harris in the $100,000 Philadelphia Golf Classic. Murph the Girth shot a twelve-under-par 276 for 72 holes, then rammed home a 15-ft. birdie putt on the third play-off hole to gain his first professional victory and the $20,000 winner’s check. The previous week he led the $250,000 Westchester Classic after three rounds, only to lose to Boros on the final hole. That time Murph picked up a check for $20,416. Total earnings to date: $64,245.

The $70,000 Rookie. Brooklyn born, Murphy grew up in Nichols, Fla., starred in football, basketball and especially baseball at Mulberry High School. Several baseball scouts were hot on his trail, but they cooled off after he suffered a severe shoulder separation in a football game. “It nearly murdered me at the time,” he says, “but it was the best thing that could have happened. After all, how many baseball players make $70,000 in their rookie season?”

Murphy was bitten by the golf bug during his freshman year at the University of Florida. He learned the fine points of the game from his physical education instructor, Conrad Rehling, whom he still consults by telephone during important matches. Rehling straightened out Murphy’s natural hook, made him develop a fade. “He taught me everything I know,” says Murphy. “He saw I had fire and guts and desire and he taught me how to use them.” By his sophomore year Murphy was “playing golf like there was no tomorrow,” and by the time graduation rolled around, he had won the N.C.A.A. and U.S. Amateur championships.

After college, Murphy latched onto a promotion job with Florida Tile Industries, which meant round after round of businessman’s golf. “I looked around,” he says, “saw that all I was doing was playing golf anyway, so I decided to turn pro.” For a professional prospect, Murphy had two serious faults: weak irons and his fade. But Florida Tile President Jim Sikes agreed to sponsor him, and last fall Murphy entered the P.G.A.’s Approved Tournament Players’ school. Only 30 of 111 aspirants won their A.T.P. cards; Murphy was among them.

He has since proved that he can work the fade to his advantage, and he compensates for his iron deficiency with a deadly wedge shot. Most of all, Murphy perseveres. Says he: “You can’t switch around on the course because of what other golfers might do. You’ve just got to play steady and play your own game to make it. The way I figure it, this game is 90% mental.” The other 10%? “The way you sleep,” he says, “and your digestion.”