ALMOST five years to the day since John Murphy won his first tournament as a professional, the Kinsale golfer enjoyed that winning feeling again.

Better late than never, Murphy triumphed at the Clutch Pro Tour’s Crondon Park Classic in Essex, hitting five birdies in his final 11 holes before clinching victory in a play-off.

‘My last tournament win was actually five years ago and it came in the first event I ever played as a professional, so I definitely didn’t think at the time that it would take another five years to get the next one,’ Murphy told The Southern Star.

His breakthrough success in June 2021 was in the Northern Ireland Open at Cairndhu, at the outset of an adventure that saw Murphy earn his DP World Tour card for 2023.

There have been highs and lows along the way, and he is building again, competing on the Clutch Pro Tour this year.

Moments like winning the Crondon Park Classic play-off, where he held his nerve against the English duo OJ Farrell and Ben Hutchinson, help reinforce that belief.

‘Irrespective of where I’m playing or what tour I’m on, I’m just incredibly happy with where my game is at right now. I feel really good about it again and I suppose that’s the most gratifying thing,’ Murphy says.

‘Myself and my team have identified a lot of things we’ve been working on and I feel like I’m on a really good trend at the moment, so I’m excited to keep building on that now.’

He feels his near-miss at the Motocaddy Masters at Heythrop Park the previous month helped prepare him for the winning moment. In that tournament, he finished tied for sixth, three shots off the lead having shot an opening round 64, but followed with 71 and 70.

After shooting back-to-back 70s at the Crondon Park Classic, he finished the third and final round strong after carding two bogeys inside the opening five holes.

‘To be honest, I probably learned a lot from the tournament a few weeks ago where I had a really good chance to win and didn’t get it done,’ he explains.

‘When things got tight coming down the stretch, I still felt like I made a few careful swings, especially with the driver. Over the last couple of years, because I struggled a bit, I just hadn’t been in those situations very often and you do lose a bit of touch with how you handle yourself under pressure.

‘I think going through that experience a few weeks ago made a huge difference this time. Standing on the 18th tee knowing I needed a birdie and then hitting the tee shot I did, especially considering how much I’ve struggled off the tee over the last couple of years, that felt really rewarding.

‘It was brilliant then to make the birdie and force the play-off.’

Proud of himself for delivering under pressure and finding the birdie he needed on the 18th, Murphy took that momentum into the three-way play-off.

‘A big advantage for me was getting to go first because it’s a really tough driving hole. A lot of lads had been laying up all week with irons off the tee and then another iron into the green, but I decided to take it on with the driver,’ he explains.

‘That probably forced the other two lads into taking the driver as well. They both missed the fairway and had to chip out, so I think that definitely ended up being a big turning point in the play-off.’

It’s a victory he’s had to wait for, but it’s a sign that Murphy is in a better place with his golf.

‘Honestly, I feel as good about my game as I have in a very long time, which is a really nice place to be,’ he says.

‘I feel comfortable and confident on the golf course again, which I can’t honestly say I’ve felt over the last couple of years, so it’s great to be able to say that now.

‘For the rest of the year, it’s really just about seeing what playing opportunities come up.’