US golfer Grayson Murray, who won his second PGA TOUR title at the Sony Open in January, died Saturday at the age of 30, leaving the golf world in mourning.
Murray had withdrawn from the Charles Schwab Challenge with an unspecified illness during Friday’s second round in Texas.
“We were devastated to learn – and are heartbroken to share – that PGA Tour player Grayson Murray passed away this morning. I am at a loss for words,” PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan said in a statement.
“The PGA Tour is a family, and when you lose a member of your family, you are never the same. We mourn Grayson and pray for comfort for his loved ones.”
Monahan said he had spoken with Murray’s parents to offer condolences and they had “asked that we continue with tournament play.
“They were adamant that Grayson would want us to do so. As difficult as it will be, we want to respect their wishes.”
The Tour did not specify a cause of death.
Fellow golfer Peter Malnati, who played the first two rounds at the Charles Schwab Challenge this weekend with Murray, was in floods of tears as he opened up on the passing of the talented player.
“This is gonna be really hard,” he said on CBS Sports. “I didn’t know Grayson all that well, but I spent the last few days with him. It’s so funny… we get so worked up out here about a bad break here or a good break there. You know, we’re so competitive, so competitive out here. We all want to beat each other. And then something like this happens and you realise we’re all just humans.
“This is just a really, really hard day because you look at Grayson and you see in him someone who has visibly, outwardly struggled in the past [with alcoholism and mental health], and he’s been open about it. And you see him get his life back to a place where he’s feeling good about things. It’s just so sad.”
“I was with him yesterday, and he was playing great! Like his game is so good, he’s so good at golf,” he added while fighting back tears.
“Maybe if I tell a story about him, that’ll help me get some composure.
“I think this is a really telling story. He’ll be the first to admit that college wasn’t real good for him, it didn’t work out great.
“He spent one semester at Wake Forest and Jerry Haas (a legendary 25-year coach at Wake Forest University) was his coach there. Jerry coached Bill (Haas, his nephew who has six PGA Tour wins), he coached Webb Simpson, he coached (Will) Zalatoris among many others.
“I got to talk to Jerry a handful of years ago, I was at their practice facility … He told me: ‘I had Bill come through here, I had Webb (Simpson). But the most talented player that ever set foot on this campus I only got to keep for one semester and that was Grayson Murray.’
“Grayson put that talent on display this year and it was really really fun to see.
“Just to know that he’s not going to be doing it anymore. It’s a huge loss for all of us on the PGA tour, for all our fans.
“It’s times like this that you realise that as much as we want to beat each other, as much as we want to be competitive, we are one big family and we lost one today. That’s terrible.”
Veteran broadcaster Jim Nantz was also emotional when speaking about Murray’s death during the coverage of the Charles Schwab Challenge, while former Masters winner Trevor Immelman was in tears.
“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.”
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Murray’s second career title in Hawaii in January was an emotional affair, capping a stunning personal comeback from alcohol abuse and mental health issues.
Murray, who had claimed his only prior tour title as a rookie at the 2017 Barbasol Championship, had also been slowed by a motor scooter accident in Bermuda in 2022.
After rolling in a 38-foot birdie putt to win a three-man playoff, Murray said he hoped his return to the winner’s circle could provide inspiration for others.
“If I can help one person that’s all it takes,” he said in Hawaii. “It’s not easy,” Murray mused.
“I wanted to give up a lot of times — give up on myself, give up on the game of golf, give up on life at times,” he said, adding that he hoped his legacy going forward would be to be “known as a good person.”
The golf world was left in shock at the news of his tragic passing.
Masters champion Scottie Scheffler, after a strong day at the Charles Schwab Challenge, said: “Obviously the news hasn’t really sunk in quite yet, but I’m thinking about his family and praying hard for all of them.
“I can’t imagine how difficult of a time this is. I got to know Grayson a bit better over the last six months or so and there’s not really a way to put into words how sad and tragic it is — but I’m thinking about his family.”
Murray had been tabbed for stardom from a young age.
He was just 16 when he made his first cut on the developmental Korn Ferry Tour and won three straight Junior World Championships from 2006-08.
A solid season on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2023 saw him return to the PGA Tour, and his Sony Open victory saw him reach a career high 46th in the world rankings.