'He was loved and he will be missed': Parents of golfer Grayson Murray speak after the 30-year-old's shock death (2024)

WARNING: This story includes a discussion of self-harm and suicide.

Grayson Murray's parents have revealed their 30-year-old son took his own life, just one day after he withdrew from a PGA Tour event.

They also asked for privacy and that people honour Murray by being kind to one another, in a statement released by the PGA Tour on Sunday, local time.

"If that becomes his legacy, we could ask for nothing else," Eric and Terry Murray said.

Murray, a two-time PGA Tour winner, spoke in January after winning the Sony Open in Honolulu about turning the corner in his life, his golf and battles with alcoholism and mental health.

He died on Saturday morning.

Murray had to go through the Korn Ferry Tour to get his PGA Tour card back.

Then, he birdied the last hole at the Sony Open to get into a play-off and made a 40-foot birdie putt on the first extra hole for an emotional win.

"It's not easy," Murray said immediately after winning. "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."

Murray tied for 43rd last week in the PGA Championship, which enabled him to hold his position among the top 60 to earn a spot in the US Open at Pinehurst in his native North Carolina.

He shot 68 in the opening round at Colonial. The next round, he was 5 over and coming off three straight bogeys when he withdrew citing an illness.

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said he spoke with Murray's parents about halting play at Colonial and they insisted the golf tournament continue.

'He was loved and he will be missed': Parents of golfer Grayson Murray speak after the 30-year-old's shock death (1)

Monahan flew to Fort Worth, Texas, to be with players. Many of them wore black-and-red pins on their caps on Sunday in honour of Murray. Those are the colours of the Carolina Hurricanes, his favourite NHL team.

"We have spent the last 24 hours trying to come to terms with the fact that our son is gone. 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," his parents shared in their statement.

"We have so many questions that have no answers. But one. Was Grayson loved? The answer is yes. 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.

"Life wasn't always easy for Grayson, and although he took his own life, we know he rests peacefully now."

Grayson was a raw talent after taking up golf at age 8.

He won his age division three straight years at the prestigious Junior World Championship in San Diego, but he struggled to fit in at college, going to Wake Forest, East Carolina and then Arizona State.

His first coach was Ted Kiegel in North Carolina, who like so many others was devastated.

"Words cannot express the tragedy of this moment," Kiegel said in a statement sent to The Associated Press.

"Grayson came from something that was ordinary and made it EXTRAORDINARY … He burned bright for the 30 years he gave us."

Murray won as a 22-year-old rookie at the Barbasol Championship in Kentucky, and frustration began to set in as he didn't improve as quickly as others whom he routinely beat as amateurs.

'He was loved and he will be missed': Parents of golfer Grayson Murray speak after the 30-year-old's shock death (2)

He was always open about depression and anxiety, and his bouts with alcohol. One of his darker moments was at the Sony Open in 2021 when he was suspended for an incident in a Hawaii bar.

Murray took to social media to say, "Why was I drunk? Because I'm a [expletive] alcoholic that hates everything to do with the PGA Tour life and that's my scapegoat."

He also accused the tour of not giving him proper help, which the tour denied.

Monahan said on Saturday at Colonial that he called Murray right after that posting and subsequently spent a lot of time with him.

"I think one of the elements of his legacy is his resiliency," Monahan said.

"So you think of going back to 2017, winning the Barbasol Championship, going back and forth between the Korn Ferry Tour and the PGA Tour … self-assessing, coming back, becoming in his own eyes a stronger human being, and then winning three times in the past year.

"To me, that's a level of resiliency that is extraordinary."

When he won on the Korn Ferry Tour last year, Murray talked about his parents having "been through hell and back basically for the last six years for me fighting some mental stuff".

'He was loved and he will be missed': Parents of golfer Grayson Murray speak after the 30-year-old's shock death (3)

"Everyone has their battles," Murray said a year ago.

"Sometimes people are able to hide them and function, and sometimes you're not. I think our society now is getting better about accepting that it's OK to not be OK. I've embraced that mentality. I'm not ashamed that I go through depression and anxiety."

He also used social media to reach out to others dealing with similar issues in a sport where losing takes place far more than winning.

Murray said in January after he won the Sony Open that he often felt like a failure who had wasted his talent.

"It was a bad place, but like I said, you have to have courage," he said.

"You have to have the willingness to keep going. Lo and behold, that's what I did, and I'm here, and I'm so blessed and I'm thankful."

He saw that Sony Open victory — which got him into the Masters for the first time — as the start of a new chapter.

He said he had become a Christian and was engaged to Christiana Ritchie. He said in January the wedding had been planned for late April.

"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."

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'He was loved and he will be missed': Parents of golfer Grayson Murray speak after the 30-year-old's shock death (2024)

FAQs

'He was loved and he will be missed': Parents of golfer Grayson Murray speak after the 30-year-old's shock death? ›

Was Grayson loved? The answer is yes. 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.

Who is Grayson Murray's caddie? ›

Murray's caddie, Jay Green, described Murray as being exceptionally generous. After winning the Sony Open in Hawaii in January, Murray bought Green a Rolex watch he knew the caddie wanted.

How many wins does Grayson Murray have? ›

Grayson Murray
Professional wins7
Highest ranking46 (January 14, 2024)
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour2
21 more rows

Did Grayson Murray have any siblings? ›

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. “Life wasn't always easy for Grayson, and although he took his own life, we know he rests peacefully now.”

Where did the Murray Brothers caddy? ›

As teens, actor Bill Murray and his five brothers – Andy, Brian, Ed, Joel and John – spent summers caddying at Indian Hill Club in Winnetka, IL. Caddying ran in the family.

What does WD mean in golf? ›

WD - Withdrawn: Often, a player will have to withdraw from a round voluntarily. When you WD a player, their scores will still show on the leaderboard, and those scores will be used in other tournaments (if applicable) in that round.

How many tournaments did Wayne Riley win? ›

Wayne Riley
Highest ranking62 (7 July 1996)
Number of wins by tour
European Tour2
PGA Tour of Australasia4
17 more rows

How many tournaments has Lee Hodges won? ›

PGA Tour wins (1)

Who is Brad Beecher caddying for? ›

Former caddie to world no. 1 Inbee Park and now caddie to Sensation, Minjee Lee. Brad chats about his career as a LPGA Tour caddie, What he sees in the great players, Tips on how to become the best player you can be.

Who does James Baker caddie for? ›

Hi, I'm James, a caddie with over 14 years experience on both the PGA and European Tour. ⛳️ Proud to have caddied for Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer, Dave Horsey, Simon Dyson, Michael Hoey and Jamie Donaldson.

Who does Dean Emerson caddie for? ›

Emerson has been working with Thompson for about a year and a half, starting in the fall of 2021. A rookie on the PGA Tour, Thompson earned his card by finishing 14th on the Korn Ferry Tour last year. Emerson started caddying in 2019, building an impressive resume along the way.

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But with Todd's caddie David Clark moving to LIV to work for Ian Poulter, Tesori, who has been dealing with a back injury, has opted to go with the veteran over a rising star who has seemed on the verge of reaching the winner's circle for some time.

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