Andy Murray plays in the pro-am before the BMW PGA Championship [Getty Images]
Golfer Richie Ramsay believes Sir Andy Murray would be the perfect mentor for Scottish athletes across all sports.
Murray’s glittering tennis career came to an end at the Paris Olympics.
The 37-year-old took part in the pro-am ahead of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth this week, paired with compatriot Robert MacIntyre.
Ramsay told BBC Scotland that having the knowledge of a former world number one could be game-changing for many athletes.
“If he’s up to it he should become a mentor to some of Scotland’s top athletes. Any sane person would jump at the opportunity,” he said.
“When he walks into a room, I stop, and when he says something, I focus on what he’s saying because it means so much.”
“He has demonstrated it all and that’s why he commands such huge respect. You hear players like Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal talking about him. He’s a real icon.”
The three-time Grand Slam champion and two-time Olympic gold medallist owns an agency called 77 Sports Management, but closed its tennis division after agreeing a deal with IMG last year.
Murray, a father of four young children, appeared to rule out a move into coaching anytime soon, citing his reluctance to travel.
But Ramsay believes someone with Murray’s experience would be the ideal foil for world number three Rory McIlroy, the Northern Irishman who is bidding to complete the greatest Grand Slam in golf’s history.
Only the Masters is missing from McIlroy’s list of major championship successes, as the 35-year-old has not won a major championship since the 2014 British Open.
In 2013, Murray became Britain’s first player to win the Wimbledon men’s singles title in 77 years, and in 2015 he helped Britain win the Davis Cup for the first time in 79 years.
“If I was Rory I’d fly Andy Murray over because he’s under the same pressure when it comes to the Masters and I’d pick his brain,” Ramsay added.
“He’s one of the few people in the world who has ever felt the same pressure as we’re feeling right now, so you should ask him how to prepare.”