Jonathan Foster ’10
Staff WriterDylan Murray ’10 was destined to become the All-State golfer that he is today.

Murray started out golfing, nearly since the day he was born. “My parents had me hitting into a net in the basement when I was a toddler,” he said.

Moving back and forth from Florida to Colorado due to his father’s job did not prevent Murray from getting in good practice.

“In Jacksonville, I lived on a golf course and I played a few holes every day,” said Murray. “Since I was only ten, I wasn’t allowed to play on the course that we lived on by myself, so I would get up a dawn and play until they kicked me off.”

When Murray moved back to Colorado, he was introduced to many new opportunities.

“Moving back was a good thing for my game though, because my family joined a great country club called the Country Club of Colorado,” he said.

There, Murray met other students who played and “was able to practice and play with them all day. I got a lot of help from a tremendous junior golfer, Tom Glissmeyer, an All-American who just graduated from USC. He was my role model growing up and he helped me get to the next level,” Murray said.

Having to move to Texas due to his parent’s divorce really changed Murray’s mindset, however, as he went to pursue other sports such as hockey and baseball. At this point, he surprisingly rarely played any golf.

However, when his stepfather got a promotion to GE Capital’s headquarters in Stamford, Conn., Murray had to move yet again, bringing him to Westport. Here, he was able to play everyday in Westport’s own Longshore Golf course.

When he was a freshman, Murray wasn’t instantly a significant part of the team, as he was adjusting his swing, but was in line to be a great player later in his high school career.

In his sophomore year, Murray truly made his mark on the team.

“Sophomore year was one of my best years,” he said. “Andrew Gai [’11] and I led the team in regular season, scoring average.” Murray noted that then-captain Scott Abramson ’08 was a “great contributor” to the team’s sucess.

“I played consistently throughout the year and helped lead the team to a 17-2 regular season,” Murray said. “I also helped lead us to a second-place finish in states where I shot 75, leading the team.”

In addition to this, he scored a 73 at the FCIAC championship, which was the best in the FCIAC. Murray was voted All-State for that season.

Junior year, Murray continued to flourish, leading the team to a perfect record, a third place finish at FCIACs, as well as a State Championship.

Outside of Staples, Murray has competed at the International Junior Golf Tour (IJGT), where he has had great success. When he was 15, Murray won an IJGT event, with a score of 69, which was three shots under par. He also has two top-tens on junior golf’s biggest national tournament, the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA). In the Connecticut Junior Tournament, he finished first in the “stroke-play” and made it to the semi-finals for the “match-play”. On top of these accolades, Murray has had four holes-in-one in his career.

Yet to consistently be at the top of his game, year round training is essential, including the winter.

“In the winter I have a very strict schedule,” said Murray, who mentioned Camilo Villegas, one of the PGA tour’s new young stars, as an inspiration. Murray puts a lot of emphasis on fitness, nutrition, and simple hard work. He lifts a lot of weights and works on cardio to get him in the best shape possible.

“I lift upper body [on] Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, and I do lower body and cardio on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays,” Murray said. “Also on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, I go to the Sports Center of Connecticut with my good friend and teammate Conor Mahoney ’11 and hit a lot of golf balls to keep the rust off.”

Looking into the future, Murray has big plans for college. He will be choosing between the University of Connecticut, and Presbyterian College in South Carolina, both Division One golf schools.

“I am leaning towards Presbyterian College because they are offering me a great deal,” he said. “The school is an overall better fit for me too. I am from the South and I am excited to get back down there.”

To take the next step in his golfing career, Murray has set some tough goals for himself this coming season, including an FCIAC, and State Championship for the team, as well as being an All-FCIAC and All-State selection. He also wants to win an AJGA event.