Back

Grayson Murray Dies Aged 30

Two-time PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray died on Saturday at the age of 30, one day after he withdrew from the Charles Schwab Cup Challenge at Colonial.

There are as yet no details around his death, but the world of golf has been left in shock at the news.

“I am at a loss for words,” the PGA Tour commissioner, Jay Monahan, said. “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.”

His management company, GSE Worldwide, 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.

Monahan has spoken with Grayson’s family who confirmed they wished the tournament in Fort Worth, Texas, to continue. Grief counsellors will be on site at the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour event, Monahan confirmed.

“To see the devastation on the faces of every player coming in is really difficult to see and really just profound,” he added. “Grayson was a remarkable player, but he was a very courageous man. I’ve always loved that about him.”

Grayson won the Sony Open this year, hitting wedge to three feet for birdie on the final hole to get into a playoff, and winning it with a 40-foot putt. This was after dealing with alcohol and mental health issues in the past.

Murray said in January that he had been sober for eight months, had become a Christian, and was engaged to be married.

“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.”

Several players on the tour paid tribute to the 58th ranked player, including Peter Malnati who was brought to tears.

“Losing him is really hard,” he told CBS Sports. “I didn’t even know Grayson all that well, but I spent the last two days with him. And we get so worked up about a bad break here or a good break there…”

He continued: “You look at Grayson and you see someone who has visibly, outwardly struggled in the past and he was open about it and you see him kind of get his life back to a place where he’s feeling good about things. It’s just so sad.”

/Stewart
Sports news editor