Posted on Sat, May. 03, 2008

Even four bogeys in the final five holes in Friday's second round of the Wachovia Championship couldn't take the smile off Trevor Murphy's face.

"I didn't finish the way I wanted to," said the senior on the Charlotte 49ers golf team after completing a 4-over-par 76 that left him 3-over for the tournament and three shots shy of making the cut for the weekend.

"But I can't be upset with the way I played," said Murphy, who won his way into his first PGA Tour event through a qualifier on Tuesday. "For 27 holes I played pretty well."

Actually, it was 31 holes. Murphy made birdies at the 10th and 12th holes in his second round and was even par for the day at 1-under for the tournament as he stood on the tee box of the 350-yard, par-4 14th hole.

But he pulled his tee shot left into the water, leading to a bogey. He also hit his tee shot into the water to the left on the par-5 15th, and that started his undoing.

"I just hit some tee shots to the left and I really don't know why," Murphy said. "On 14 and 15 I gave away some shots and that really cost me. And then on 16 I hit a good iron shot, but the wind switched and it went over the green. I made the wrong decision on that hole."

He made bogey at 16, saved par from off the green on 17 and then missed his tee shot right on 18, leading to another bogey as his chance to play the weekend slipped away.

"I didn't know what the cut was going to be," he said. "If I played well enough to make it, it was going to be a feather in my cap. But I am happy with how I played."

Murphy said the experience was one he'll remember.

"It surpassed all of my expectations," he said. "It has given me a lot more confidence, definitely. Playing with these guys and seeing some of the shots they hit, and hitting some good shots, it makes me think I can maybe play out here one day. That means a lot.

"It still all feels pretty surreal to me. But it will probably sink in next week when I am taking finals."