Grayson Murray, a two-time PGA Tour winner, passed away on Saturday morning at the age of 30. The cause of his death has not been revealed. On Friday, he had withdrawn from the Charles Schwab Challenge during the second round because of an illness. Murray's death was confirmed by the PGA Tour on Saturday.
"We were devastated to learn — and are heartbroken to share — that PGA Tour player Grayson Murray passed away this morning," PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said in a statement. "I am at a loss for words. The PGA Tour is a family, and when you lose a member of your family, you are never the same.
Unexpected and Shocking Death
"We mourn Grayson and pray for comfort for his loved ones. I reached out to Grayson's parents to offer our deepest condolences, and during that conversation, they asked that we continue with tournament play. They were adamant that Grayson would want us to do so," Monahan added.
"As difficult as it will be, we want to respect their wishes. The PGA Tour has grief counselors available at both tournament sites, as well as virtually for those not in the field. I am en route to Ft. Worth and will share more information when we can."
Just last month, Murray's fiancée, Christiana, caddied for him during the Par 3 contest before The Masters. The couple was planning to marry in the spring of 2024. Murray had previously talked about his battles with alcohol and mental health issues.
"My parents have been through hell and back basically for the last six years with me, fighting some mental stuff," he once said.
"It's not easy on me and the people around me that love me. They don't like to see me down and they've been my No 1 supporters and everyone has their battles.
"Sometimes people are able to hide them and function and sometimes you're not. I think our society is getting better now about accepting that it's OK to not be OK."
Star in His Own Right
In January, at the Sony Open in Hawaii where he won his second PGA Tour title, the North Carolina native gave an emotional interview about the difficult times he faced off the course. "My rookie year was 2017 - I was young and thought I was invincible and wasn't doing the correct stuff off the course to really give myself the best chance to succeed out here," he said.
"Over the years, I've given in a few times and then right when I try to give up, someone gives me a little bit more inspiration, saying: 'Hey you got it, you can do it.' Those are just the people that are close to me that I really lean on in hard times and I just have to keep pushing through. That's the only way I know how."
Murray had 10 top-10 finishes in his career, including his two PGA Tour wins.
CBS announcer Jim Nantz became emotional while sharing the news during the third round of the Charles Schwab Challenge on Saturday.
"I just want to say that the Tour did offer to the [Murray] family to stop play, right here basically at the top of the hour," Nantz said on the broadcast. "The family was adamant that Grayson and the family wants the tournament to go on. Grayson Murray, gone way too soon, at the age of 30.
"It's a sad day on the PGA tour. And somehow, with heavy hearts, we're gonna cover a golf tournament after a break. We're gonna cover it, we're gonna try as best we can, be as respectful as we can in our tone and in our hearts."
