WHO NEEDS LUCK WHEN YOU HAVE MURRAY-STYLE CHARM?
Two major sporting events, apparently.
Every September we reach out to Bill and ask the man who has everything, what we can do to honor him taking another trip around the sun—and every time the man, the myth, the Murray responded with something witty—giving us a hard time, before ultimately telling us to do something nice for others.
This year, Bill’s request was brand-related and simple; “I’m fine and don’t need anything Just be nice to your moms and bring back those two shirts everyone always asks me about. You know, the ones that made some dreams come true a few years back.”
For those out of the know, 2016 was a serendipitous year for both William Murray Golf and our fearless leader Bill Murray.
In late September, Team USA broke a 3,000+ day Ryder Cup losing streak—emerging victorious at Hazeltine National, by way of a 17-11 final score on Sunday. The eight-year drought immediately became an afterthought after securing five points from the 12 single matches on the day.
In the crowd all week, the good-luck charm Team USA needed, but didn’t even know it had—Bill Murray—decked out in William Murray gear publicly for the first time, yet nowhere near inconspicuous as he was quick to lead an “AMERICA!” call-and-response chant with the pro-USA crowd.
Bill and his brother, the legendary Brian-Doyle Murray—screenwriter of the cult classic ‘Caddyshack’, while also playing the iconic caddy master Lou Loomis—were all over Chaska, Minnesota that weekend; Bill sporting our “Cinderella Story” polo; an homage to his Carl Spackler character as the navy blue polo is plastered with colorful mums similar to the ones the loopy groundskeeper took a sickle to in the film.
A few weeks later, the Murray’s beloved Chicago Cubs defied the odds and punched a ticket to their first World Series since 1945—an event The Northsiders hadn’t won since 1908. Time and fate had toyed with the beloved Cubbies over the years, but something felt a little bit special about 2016; so much so that our birthday gift to Bill that fall was a Chicago-inspired, pinstripe polo we called “This Is The Year”.
In true Chicago fashion, the Cubs lost Game 1, bounced back and took Game 2, but just as quickly lost Game 3 and Game 4—the crowd at Wrigley Field visibly distraught after that 7-2 home thumping a night after dropping a 1-0 slugfest.
Backs to a wall, down 3-1—this was the Chicago Cubs everybody knew and loved.
Chicago took Game 5 at home, 3-2—and Bill stuck with “This Is The Year” for Game 6 in Cleveland; going as far as to bring a random fan to sit with him during the game—leaning a little bit on those “good works” that are a part of any good Catholic upbringing.
By the time Game 7 rolled around, a new good luck charm surfaced; our beloved “Old Fashioned”.
“Something tells me we’re going a little stronger than beer for this one tonight,” Bill shared as he pulled our whiskey-adorned polo over his head, Cubs hat still in place.
The rest was history.
Chicago was up 6-3 in the bottom of the eight, but Cleveland tacked on three runs and things were tied up going into what was eventually a scoreless ninth. The Cubs knocked in two in the top of the tenth to take an 8-6 lead—but the Indians cut it to one in the bottom of the frame. A ground-out to third ultimately sealed it and Chicago was a champion again for the first time in 108 long seasons.
While we’re not claiming that Bill Murray and two good-luck polos somehow swayed the 2016 Ryder Cup and soon-to-follow World Series—we’re not saying they didn’t, either.
Try your good fortune with “Cinderella Story” and “Old Fashioned”; both back for a limited time at WilliamMurrayGolf.com.