Grayson Murray after winning the Sony Open in January. Photo /Getty Images
WARNING: This story deals with suicide. Please see below for help and crisis information.
Kiwi world number 63 Ryan Fox has paid tribute to PGA Tour player Grayson Murray who took his own life after withdrawing from the Charles Schwab Cup event over the weekend.
Fox played alongside Murray during the third round at last week’s PGA Championship and was in the Charles Schwab Cup field - finishing tied for 32nd.
“A disappointing weekend for me @charles_schwab_challenge but it pales in comparison to what was a very sad weekend for the golfing world. I played with Grayson for the first time at the PGA last week and very much enjoyed his company and was impressed by his golf game.
“I was heartbroken to hear the news yesterday and my thoughts are with his family and friends at this tragic time #ripgrayson”
Murray’s parents released a statement yesterday confirming he took his own life.
“We have spent the last 24 hours trying to come to terms with the fact that our son is gone,” Eric and Terry Murray said in a statement. “It’s surreal that we not only have to admit it to ourselves, but that we also have to acknowledge it to the world. It’s a nightmare.
“... Life wasn’t always easy for Grayson, and although he took his own life, we know he rests peacefully now.”
“We have so many questions that have no answers. But one. Was Grayson loved? The answer is yes,” his parents said in their statement. “By us, his brother Cameron, his sister Erica, all of his extended family, by his friends, by his fellow players and – it seems – by many of you who are reading this. He was loved and he will be missed.
“We would like to thank the PGA Tour and the entire world of golf for the outpouring of support. Please respect our privacy as we work through this incredible tragedy, and please honour Grayson by being kind to one another. If that becomes his legacy, we could ask for nothing else.”
Murray’s management company, GSE Worldwide, confirmed the death and said it was heartbroken.
“We will hold off on commenting until we learn further details, but our heart aches for his family, his friends and all who loved him during this very difficult time,” GSE said in a statement.
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said he spoke with Murray’s parents to offer condolences, and they asked that the tournament in Fort Worth, Texas, continue.
Players wore red and black ribbons in the final round to honour Murray. World number one Scottie Scheffler finished second behind Davis Riley at the Charles Schwab Cup and talked about spending time with Murray last week.
“Obviously it was a pretty difficult day to come out to the golf course with news of Grayson yesterday and, you know, spent that moment of silence today really just thinking about him and praying for his family and his fiance’, and obviously it was pretty difficult to come play golf,” Scheffler said.
“But like his parents said, he would have wanted the tournament to continue. I got to know him fairly well over the last few months, shared a couple meals with him, played a couple practice rounds. I was with him for a few hours, he was at our rental house last week. It’s a tough day for all of us out here on Tour and we’re thinking about his family and we’re praying hard for them, for sure.”
Players are wearing red and black ribbons on Sunday at the @CSChallengeFW to honor Grayson Murray.
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 26, 2024
Murray wore the colors of his hometown Carolina Hurricanes, when competing on Sundays.
His family requested that ribbons with the same colors be worn Sunday. ❤️🖤 pic.twitter.com/zS3V0pwW0N
“To see the devastation on the faces of every player coming in is really difficult to see and really just profound,” Monahan said. “Grayson was a remarkable player, but he was a very courageous man. I’ve always loved that about him.”
Murray, who had dealt with alcohol and mental health issues in the past, made a massive turnaround this year and won the Sony Open, hitting wedge to 3 feet for birdie on the final hole to get into a playoff and winning it with a 40-foot putt.
He also won the Barbasol Championship in 2017.
“It was a huge shock. My heart sank,” said Webb Simpson, who learned of Murray’s death shortly before teeing off at Colonial. He said Murray was the first winner of his junior tournament and they shared the same swing coach as juniors.
“I just hate it so much,” Simpson said. “I’m going to miss him. I’m thankful he was in the place with his faith before this morning happened.”
Murray was No 58 in the world rankings coming off a tie for 43rd in the PGA Championship last week at Valhalla. He also made the cut in his Masters debut, finishing 51st, and was in the field for the US Open next month at Pinehurst No 2.
Murray, who grew up in North Carolina, was among the most talented juniors in the country. He won the prestigious Junior World Championship in San Diego three straight years and earned the Arnold Palmer Scholarship at Wake Forest.
He wound up going to three colleges, lastly at Arizona State, and won as a 22-year-old PGA Tour rookie at the Barbasol Championship.
Murray said in January that he had been sober for eight months, was engaged to be married, had become a Christian and felt his best golf was ahead of him. He was appointed to the 16-member Player Advisory Council.
“My story is not finished. I think it’s just beginning,” Murray said in Hawaii. “I hope I can inspire a lot of people going forward that have their own issues.”
Murray said he used to drink during tournament weeks as a rookie because he knew he had talent and felt he was invincible. He also brought attention to himself through social media, openly criticising other players and getting into one social media spat with Kevin Na over Na’s reputation as a slow player.
But he felt like he turned the corner when he sought help – letting others fight for him, is how he explained it this year.
“It took me a long time to get to this point,” Murray said in January. “That was seven years ago, over seven years ago. I’m a different man now. I would not be in this position right now today if I didn’t put that drink down eight months ago.”
Peter Malnati played with Murray at Colonial. He offered to go on the CBS telecast Saturday afternoon and immediately broke down trying to talk about him.
“It’s a huge loss for all of us on the PGA Tour,” Malnati said. “As much as we want to beat each other, we’re one big family, and we lost one today. It’s terrible.”