Paul Gallaghermeets Derek Murray and his Foregolf crew, the club-fitters of choice at the JP McManus Pro-am
TALK ON the tour truck is as varied as it is intriguing. With such an eclectic mix gathered at Adare Manor last week it wasn’t going to be any different on board Derek Murray’s purpose-built ForeGolf juggernaut. The World Clubmaker of the Year was assigned by JP McManus as the sole on-site equipment expert for his renowned charity Pro-am.
Like swinging doors in a hospital, there was no telling who would next step into Murray’s ambit. Loaded with every brand of equipment under the sun, state-of-the-art gadgetry to measure club performance, fully-operated workshop and a large dose of craic, Murray and his club-fitting team welcomed all-comers and their golfing ailments.
“The doctor always has a prescription,” he quips.
“TaylorMade were originally bringing one of their tour trucks because JP gave all the amateurs a brand new TaylorMade R9 driver and rescue club and we were to be there as back-up,” explains Murray. “In the end, he gave us the whole gig and part of our brief was to make sure everybody was set up the right way with the new clubs and anything else they needed on the equipment front.
“JP knew I wouldn’t drop the ball and knows I have great staff on the truck and sometimes tour trucks just look after the pros and aren’t interested in the amateurs. We looked after everyone, especially the amateurs who paid the big bucks to play there.”
In the lead-up to Adare, there was an influx of packages from every corner of the globe. “All sorts came into us, there was even a delivery with a certain Mr T Woods’ name on it. We had shafts and clubs sent in from all the leading manufacturers as back-up for the pros,” says Murray, who works on the 60-foot Mercedes truck alongside his dad Don and David Williams, a former club-fitter on the Cleveland tour truck where he and Murray first met.
It’s difficult to put a price on the equipment that passes through his hands but Murray suggests you could name your price for the shafts Tiger uses (anything up to €1,000 apiece). His are non-branded but he uses only the “best carbon fibre” and they are hand-made with an “ultra, ultra high-end tolerance”.
“You really can’t put a price on Woods’ shafts, we have to ship them back to his people if not used. In any case they all have serial numbers and would be no use to anyone else. It’s a bit like a Picasso, if you stole it you wouldn’t be able to hang it on the wall, so what’s the point?” jokes Murray.
“Our first assignment came in on Saturday when JP asked us if we could look after a couple of people. Next thing we know, self-proclaimed golf widow Andrea Corr steps onto the truck and we build her a brand new set of clubs.
“Because of her small frame we had to source lightweight shafts. She was very nice, very accommodating and no airs or graces. I asked her about hand size to get the grips right. Normally people get a bit freaked out when I ask this but there was no drama with her. None of this look ‘I’m a music star’, very down to earth.
"At the opposite end of the spectrum we had Peter Jones (12 handicap) from the BBC's Dragon's Dencome in during the event. He's massive, well over 6ft 6in. Now you'd think a guy like him would have the savvy and wherewithal, but he had no clue you could get clubs to suit.
“We ended up completely rebuilding his irons, re-shafted the woods and fixed his putter because it was way too short for him. He was completely busted by it all, like we opened a whole new world to him. As an ex-tennis player, I suggested thicker grips. ‘No, I never thought about that’, came the reply. ‘Sure you’re an eejit, let us sort that out too’. So we did and off he went, happy as Larry,” recalls Murray.
With Jones spreading the good word along the range it wasn’t long before Jamie Redknapp arrived, but the single-handicapper is “much more clued into golf”, says Murray. “He had been pulling everything left but we got his driver and rescue sorted.”
“Fair play to JP, all the amateurs got these clubs with special Fujikura shafts and a screen print of the JP McManus Invitational 2010 and an Irish flag on them. Nice touch,” he adds, after amending clubs for the likes of Mick Kinane, Tony McCoy, Michael Douglas, Ken Doherty and Michael Flatley.
“Flatley was one of the nicest guys we met all week. He came in looking to get a few things sorted but preferred to do it away from the spotlight, so Dave went with him to one end of the range and was able to get him fixed up. He ended up using one of the brand new Oban shafts.
“As for Niall Quinn, he’s one the best craic merchants around. With Dave being from Sunderland they were quickly talking football, with Dave jesting he heard Quinn was lining up Alan Shearer as the next manager. ‘I’d get lynched, not a chance’.
Murray ended up putting in a new Diamana shaft into his driver and he was “hitting it miles”.
“The shaft is two inches longer than standard (47 inches) and gives a low spin rate. Like Peter Jones, Quinner also has a lot of leverage because of his height so I asked him how he got on with Paul Casey. ‘I think Paul was a bit miffed as I knocked it outside him a few times’, joked Quinn. He then tells me Casey was stepping on the gas to make sure it didn’t happen again. All in good humour,” explains Murray, who also looks after several Irish professionals.
“Gary Murphy was in with us for about 40 minutes. I’m trying to sort him out for he’s struggling badly. He’s haemorrhaging at the moment and we need to stop that.
“Murph is a funny cat for he’s actually quite strong but doesn’t need a stiff shaft. A softer one allows him to feel the club-head and when he does that he can shape it in the air. I made him a set back in 2003 and he enjoyed a good year so we’ll re-engage again and hopefully sort him out.”
As the wind changed during the week Murray found many of the top players were directly in front of his truck to find the right angles. Paul McGinley was on board getting work done to his fairway wood, while the truck soon became Bob Torrance’s headquarters for the couple of days.
“Torrance worked with Pádraig Harrington directly in front of the truck but I didn’t do anything with him, he’s tweaking central. To get involved there you’d have to shut the truck down and it’d become the P Harrington show,” joked Murray. “His caddie Ronan said everything was in order and Pádraig knows that if he ever needs anything done he knows where I am. He was on the range for over four hours on Saturday and for nearly five on Sunday. PH, he’s still the range monkey, no doubt about it.
“There were high fives with G-Mac on the range, while Rory (McIlroy) and I go back a long way, I’ve known him since he was 12. He’s finishing off the practice area at his new house and we may get up over the winter to assist with a workshop area he’s thinking about.”
Murray and Williams were in Scotland last week meeting with manufacturers and this week they may dip into St Andrews for a time to ensure a couple of players they work with are okay.
“Colm (Moriarty) qualified for the Open so we’ll check he’s okay but it’s a bit of a zoo around the trucks during major week. If I was needed I could pretty much jump on to any of the trucks like Cleveland Srixon or Mizuno as I know all the guys there.
“That said, all players should have their equipment spot-on by the week of a major. I bet you Tiger doesn’t even go near the Nike truck. The week is hectic enough without equipment hassle,” notes Murray, who takes pride in his family business winning this year’s prestigious World Clubmaker of the Year award.
ForeGolf put together a “slick” presentation and video outlining the innovative work they carry out and entered the European competition. After winning it they presented in the States and came out on top against 6,480 entrants, including some “heavyweights” from the industry.
“We got some tour players to also write nice testimonial letters and the key to our mission is working against this mass-produced concept, where high volume superstores and the internet make people believe one mould suits all. It doesn’t and that’s the message we are trying to get across,” says Murray, whose mum Christine runs the office from their base at the Red Lane driving range in Naas, while younger sister Jill is integral to the marketing and branding of the company and dealing with accounts.
“It proves for a small country and small family business there is a future out there. We grew from nothing. Back in 1997 when we first started out we were pulling grips off in a tiny 4x4 room in the back of the shop in Naas.
“Last week I stood outside our €500,000 truck at Adare; Bob Torrance was standing there with McGinley and Camilo Villegas had just come off the truck and my dad says ‘Ever in your wildest dreams did you think we’d be standing here at Adare, requested by JP McManus, when we were busting a gut back in Naas all those years ago?’.
“Not in my wildest dreams,” replied Murray.
FOREGOLF THE FAMILY AFFAIR
Team
Derek Murray
(Owner and master club-fitter)
Dad Don
(Master club-fitter)
Mum Christine
(Office manager at Red Lane Driving Range)
Sister Jill
(Marketing, branding and accounts)
Friend David Williams
(Club-fitter and all round equipment specialist)
Brief history
1997– Company formed
2008– €500,000, 60-foot Foregolf Tour Truck bought and purpose built
2010– World Clubmaker of the Year
July itinerary
(typical Foregolf Tour Truck itinerary)
Adare Manor– JP McManus Pro-Am
St Andrews– British Open ((in person only, no truck)
Old Head of Kinsale– Members tournament
Cobh Golf Club– Official opening
Old Head of Kinsale– Two-day clinic for general public
Killarney Golf Fishing Club– Irish Open
Naas Driving Range– Cleveland open day
Details:www.foregolf.ie; Ph: 045-430660
