Ed Murray death: Brother of Bill Murray and inspiration behind Caddyshack dies

Golf-lover also had cameo in movie

Bill, Brian and Ed Murray (William Murray Golf Instagram)

Ed Murray, the eldest brother of Bill Murray and the man who inspired the 1980 comedy Caddyshack, has died.

“It’s with the heaviest of hearts that we announce the passing of the legend Ed Murray,” read a post on the Instagram for his family's apparel company William Murray Golf.

It explained that, as a young golf caddy, Ed was the recipient of the Evans Scholarship in 1963, a story that served as inspiration for Michael O'Keefe's character Danny Noonan in Caddyshack, which starred Bill Murray and was co-written by their other brother Brian Doyle-Murray.

The post concluded: “Rest in paradise, to a true family man and a gentle, sweet soul. May we honour your memory from this day forward.”

According to his page on the William Murray Golf site, Ed – who worked as a stockbroker – also starred as an extra on Caddyshack.

"Over the years, I’ve told people that I was the real Danny Noonan, up to the point where he got laid by the waitress,” he wrote. “That didn’t happen. But, I was the oldest of nine, won the caddie championship, and got the caddie scholarship.

“Many of the events in Caddyshack I experienced during the many years I served as a caddy at Indian Hill Club. I did have a small part in the movie in my five days as an extra. I also got to take director Harold Ramis and producer Doug Kenny out to Indian Hill Club and show them the course and the caddyshack and introduce them to the pro. 

"They ended up giving me 'a special thanks' in the movie’s credits."