Katherine Murphy is shown in the 2007 Rhode Island Women's Fourball Championship, before her shoulder surgery.

Journal photo / Bob Breidenbach

MIDDLETOWN –– Katherine Murphy is happy to be playing golf again. The fact that she has starting winning more championships is just a bonus.

For the second time in the last four years, the Wanumetonomy star has claimed the title as the best amateur woman in the state. She won three close matches last week at Point Judith, capped by a 2-up decision over fellow collegian Robyn English in the title match, to win the R.I. Women’s Amateur Championship.

That allowed her to join a select group –– Anna Grzebien, now on the LPGA Tour, was the last –– to win the title more than once. Murphy, who just finished her junior year at Penn State, also won the title in 2006.

This one is special because Murphy is a different player in many ways. She still is not back to full health after shoulder surgery 13 months ago.

“I don’t think I’m ever going to get back to where I was,” she said. “It’s not 100 percent. I’d probably say about 80 percent. From a golf standpoint, my swing is completely different. I can’t physically get my shoulder up that high anymore.”

Everything changed in February of last year. She was in her sophomore year, a regular on the Penn State women’s team.

“I was lifting in the weight room with our trainers and I heard a pop in my [left] shoulder,” she related. “I didn’t really think anything of it. But after a while I started hearing some clicking in my shoulder and my range of motion started getting worse.

“I’ve played a lot of sports,” she went on. “I just thought it was a pulled muscle.” The trainers suggested undergoing an MRI. But Murphy could still play. In fact, she did play through the entire spring season. In one of those tournaments, her father, Bob, went to see her compete. He was surprised to see that her swing was very different.

Murphy tried to avoid the MRI. “They stick this huge needle in you,” she noted. But by the end of the season, she agreed to undergo the test.

The MRI found what the trainers had feared. Murphy had torn the labrum in the shoulder. She had surgery in May 2008. It included inserting two pins.

“I was in a sling for six weeks. I couldn’t even move it,” she said. By midsummer, she was beginning rehab with Don Levine at Olympic training, in Middletown. She returned to Penn State and continued rehab, but could not even think about getting on the golf course for the entire fall season.

She returned in the spring and played solidly as she regained her regular spot in the Nittany Lions lineup. She worked not only with the people at Penn State, but also with Kyle Phelps, the pro at Rhode Island Country Club. She had to change her swing because she physically could not make as big a turn as she used to.

“I’ve lost 10 to 15 yards,” said Murphy, who used her outstanding athleticism (she also was a soccer star at Portsmouth High School) to become one of the longest hitters among women as a teenager. The loss of distance does not mean she is not as good a player.

“My short game has definitely gotten better. I’ve worked on that a long time,” she said.

When she plays these days, the shoulder issues are obvious. She often rotates and exercises her left arm to try and get the shoulder comfortable as she prepares for a shot. She is resigned to the fact that the shoulder problem will impact her golf game for the rest of her life. But she is dealing with it as well as could be expected.

For her, golf was never meant to be a career. A finance major, she plans to work in business. She has an internship this summer with Wells Fargo. She plans to spend much of the rest of the summer in Washington, D.C., although she will return to compete in the Ocean State Women’s Amateur. Her goal is to do the same thing she did in 2006 –– sweep both titles.

After that, it will be back to school, where she fully expects to be able to rejoin her Nittany Lion team and complete her eligibility.

“I love golf. I plan on continuing to play after college, just at not that high a level.” she said. “Golf is something that can help you in business. I hope I’ll get to use golf in connection with my job. But I’m looking forward to kicking back and just playing golf for fun.”

pkenyon@projo.com