The world of golf is no stranger to prodigies who rose fast and then disappeared. Marius Thorp is one such prodigy, although his case has a twist that was the least expected.

In an interview with Bunkered, Marius talked candidly about his abrupt decision to leave professional golf behind.

"I just felt I was completely out of gas; there was nothing left in the tank. I didn't find any motivation; I didn't find that joy. There were guys working harder than me, there were guys willing to sacrifice more than me, it's just a very honest game, you get what you deserve, and I probably didn't deserve it." Thorp said.

This claim holds significance when one considers Thorp's position a few years ago. In 2006, at the age of only 18, Thorp won The Open's Silver Medal as the first Norwegian to do so, beating Italian golfer Edoardo Molinari by seven shots.

This quick ascent only makes his departure all the more noticeable. By then, Thorp had already played for Team Europe in the 2004 Junior Ryder Cup tournament along with Rory McIlroy, and had won the European Amateur title in 2005 after beating Rafa Cabrera-Bello.

Even after getting his playing card for the 2011 season on the European Tour, Thorp conceded that he did not have the will to play at such an elite level.

"There were guys working harder than me, there were guys willing to sacrifice more than me, it's just a very honest game, you get what you deserve, and I probably didn't deserve it," he explained in the same conversation.

That honesty, rather than bitterness, seems to define how Thorp now looks back on his decision to step away from the game he once dominated as a teenager.

That pull back to golf eventually led Thorp somewhere he never expected to return.

When and Where Marius Thorp Returned to Golf

Thorp did not walk away from golf forever. After finding stability outside the sport, he eventually found his way back into it through a role close to home.

"Right now, I'm working at a golf club in a manager position. It's my home club, actually, back home in Norway called Bærum. I went to another golf club for four years then came here in 2019."

Thorp explained that his return extended beyond club management.

"My old sporting director from when I was at the national team called me and asked if I wanted to work in TV, if I wanted to work with the PGA Tour rights. Since 2016, I've been working part-time next to my full-time job."

That rooted outwards pull away from the competitive stress eventually brought him back into the game but in an entirely different capacity. Thorp has since 2019 been acting as sports manager for his old club, Bærum Golfklubb, managing sponsors and competitions.

Apart from the aforementioned position, in recent years he also worked as a PGA Tour broadcaster for Eurosport Norge, showing his love for golf did not vanish but rather took a different form.

Comment down your views on Marius Thorp's transformation from Open Silver Medalist to golf manager and broadcaster.

Written by

Utsav Gupta

Edited by

Utsav Gupta