Grayson Murray holds the trophy after winning the Sony Open golf event, January 14, 2024, at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu. The 30-year-old died Saturday, according to PGA Tour officials.
Matt York/AP
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Matt York/AP
Grayson Murray, a 30-year-old professional golfer and two-time PGA Tour winner, died Saturday. The cause of his death has not been announced.
His death comes a day after he withdrew from the Charles Schwab Challenge on Saturday, citing an unspecified illness. Playing in Fort Worth, Texas, he was 5 over par when he retired in the second round of the tournament with two holes to play.
“We were devastated to learn – and we are heartbroken to announce – that PGA TOUR player Grayson Murray passed away this morning. I am at a loss for words,” said PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan, in a press release. “The PGA TOUR is a family, and when you lose a family member, you are never the same. We mourn Grayson and pray for comfort for his loved ones.
Murray had spoken publicly about his struggles with depression and unhealthy alcohol use and how these issues fueled some of the lowest points of his professional career. But he appeared poised for a career comeback after winning the Sony Open in Hawaii in January – his first PGA Tour victory in seven years.
At 23, the Raleigh, North Carolina native won his first PGA Tour title with the Barbasol Championship in 2017 – his first year. But his game struggled in the seasons that followed, according to the PGA Tour press release.
At the Sony Open, he recalled his first year on the PGA Tour. “I was young and I thought I was invincible. I wasn’t doing the right things off the course to really give myself the best chance to succeed here,” he told reporters.
Last year, he found success again on the Korn Ferry Tour, placing fourth and regaining his spot on the PGA Tour.
In January, he credited sobriety and his family’s support for helping him feel “more at peace on the ropes.”
“I’ve been sober for over eight months now. I have a beautiful fiancée who I love so much and who is so supportive, and my parents are so supportive,” he said. “They are there with me when I go through those tough days.”
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