A Tale of Two Murrays: Golf's Most Delightful Case of Mistaken Identity

There are certain stories in golf that remind you the sport is, at its heart, wonderfully human. This is one of them. It involves two Scottish men named Murray, a Tiger Woods spitting incident, and fifteen years of misdirected fury from fans who couldn't be bothered to check their spelling.

The Incident That Started It All

Picture Dubai, early 2011. Tiger Woods, still navigating the complicated terrain of his post-scandal career, deposits some saliva onto a putting surface with three groups playing behind him. Watching from the Sky Sports commentary booth, Ewen Murray—former Tour professional turned beloved broadcaster—does what any honest commentator would do. He calls it out.

"For a person who is an inspiration, not just to golfers but to everyone, there are times when he is arrogant and disrespectful," Ewen said, before immediately switching off his microphone. He knew the backlash was coming. What he didn't know was that a significant portion of it would land in entirely the wrong inbox.

Meanwhile, across the media landscape, Ewan Murray—a Guardian journalist covering golf with a name differing by exactly one letter—began receiving emails from incensed Americans. The most memorable? "I don't know what it is like in your country, sir," wrote one furious correspondent from Arizona. "But here in America we SPIT!!!"

When Social Media Made It Worse

The coincidences pile up in ways that feel almost scripted. Both Murrays joined Twitter in October 2010, creating the perfect storm for sustained confusion. Ewen, the former professional who actually competed in The Open, commentating for millions. Ewan, the newspaper journalist covering Scottish football and golf, writing for thousands. One letter. Endless chaos.

The criticism—and occasionally the praise—meant for Sky's commentator flooded toward the Guardian writer. Tiger Woods defenders who couldn't distinguish between Ewen and Ewan spent years directing their fury at a man who had never uttered a word about the spitting incident.

What makes this story genuinely charming is how both men handled it. Ewan, hardened by years covering Scottish football (where, as he notes, "even mild opinion fuels abuse"), took it in stride. Water off a duck's back, as they say. But he also developed an alter ego of sorts—engaging with what he calls "canteen commandos" in a manner considerably more pretentious than the real Ewen Murray.

Meeting at Royal Birkdale

The two Murrays eventually met properly at the Scottish Open, where Ewan explained the email situation. Ewen's immediate concern was touchingly genuine—worried about the impact these misdirected tirades might have had. Years later, at The Open Championship media centre at Royal Birkdale, they sat together again, marveling at the absurdity of it all.

"If only we knew," Ewen reflected. If only anyone had known that a single letter would cause fifteen years of confused golf fans to fire their opinions at the wrong target.

For his part, Ewen has found the whole situation amusing. "I think if you don't have humour in life—and let's face it, there isn't much nowadays—laughter is the best medicine," he said. "I have found it all very funny and everyone I have spoken to about it is the same."

What It Says About Golf Fans

There's something endearing about this story, even as it reveals the trigger-happy nature of modern sports discourse. Ewen Murray made a fair criticism—one he stands by to this day. He wasn't attacking Tiger Woods as a golfer; he was pointing out that role models should behave like role models. "There was no bigger supporter of Tiger than me," Ewen noted, "but I wasn't telling, I was only saying it wasn't acceptable."

The immediate, visceral reaction from fans speaks to how protective golf's devoted followers can be of their heroes. It also speaks to how few of them actually check who they're yelling at before hitting send.

Key Takeaways

• Ewen Murray (Sky Sports commentator) and Ewan Murray (Guardian journalist) have been confused for fifteen years due to their nearly identical names
• The mix-up began after Ewen criticized Tiger Woods for spitting on a green in Dubai in 2011
• Both joined Twitter in October 2010, compounding the confusion
• Despite nearly three decades' age difference and completely different careers, the misdirected messages continue
• Both men have handled the situation with grace and humor—a reminder that golf, at its best, doesn't take itself too seriously