Tiger Woods won’t be playing in next week’s FBR Open, but comedian/actor Bill Murray, generally regarded as the No. 1 celebrity player in the game, will take part in Wednesday’s Xerox Silver Pro-Am.
Murray, who built his zany golf reputation through his crazy character Carl Spackler in the movie Caddyshack, also will, fittingly, take part in the opening festivities of the Miller Lite Bird’s Nest. Located about a block east of the entrance to the TPC of Scottsdale, the Bird’s Nest is the tournament’s notorious party tent.
According to tournament chairman Mike Haenel of the Phoenix Thunderbirds, the civic organization that sponsors the FBR Open, Murray agreed to make his first-ever appearance at the PGA Tour’s most well-attended tournament. Murray is most known for his participation at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, where he has amused the galleries for over a decade.
“Bill Murray is perfect for our tournament,’’ said Haenel in reference to the FBR’s party-hearty nature. “To get him to come here and play for the first time, is just awesome. . . . And having him open up the Bird’s Nest (next), well, is that any good?
“Our loyal fans are in for an unbelievable treat next Wednesday. It’s a Cinderella story, a former greens keeper. . . .’’
Haenel’s last reference was to one of Murray’s most well-known lines in Caddyshack, which was filmed in 1980 but has since been elevated to cult status. While playing Spackler, a goofy greenskeeper who attempts unsuccessfully to kill the movie’s singing gopher, Murray mutters: “The crowd has gone deathly silent. The Cinderella story, outta nowhere, a former greens keeper now about to become the Masters champion. It looks like a miracle. IT’S IN THE HOLE!”
What most people who watch the movie don’t realize is that Murray ad libbed those lines, as he did with his infamous Dali Lama quip: “The Dali Lama himself . .. 12 th son of the Lama . . . flowing robes. . . the grace. .. bald . . . striking.’’
Murray also has written a book on his favorite sport -- “Cinderella Story: My Life in Golf.’’ In 2003, he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in the sleeper hit “Lost in Translation.’’
The addition of Murray to the Wednesday pro-am breaks a celebrity drought that dates back to the late 1990s, when such stars as actors Michael Douglas and Kevin Costner took part in the tournament. Over the past five years, comedian/actor Leslie Nielsen and numerous sports figures have played in the Wednesday pro-am, but no one of Murray’s magnitude.
|
