Parents of PGA Tour golfer Grayson Murray release statement: 'He rests peacefully now'
Grayson Murray died Saturday morning at the age of 30, the PGA Tour announced.
This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org.
(WGHP) — A day after his death, the parents of PGA Tour golfer Grayson Murray have released a statement.
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan confirmed Murray's death Saturday, saying the 30-year-old passed away that morning.
"I am at a loss for words,” 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.”
Murray's death came a day after he withdrew from the Charles Schwab Cup Challenge at Colonial.
There were no immediate details on the circumstances of his death. On Sunday, Murray's parents released their own statement, expressing their own shock and grief.
You can read the full statement from Eric and Terry Murray below:
"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.
"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.
"We would like to thank the PGA TOUR and the entire world of golf for the outpouring of support. Life wasn't always easy for Grayson, and although he took his own life, we know he rests peacefully now.
"Please respect our privacy as we work through this incredible tragedy, and please honor Grayson by being kind to one another. If that becomes his legacy, we could ask for nothing else.
"Thank you."
Eric and Terry Murray
Monahan said Saturday that he spoke with Murray's parents to offer condolences, and they asked that the tournament in Fort Worth, Texas, continue. He said grief counselors would be on-site at the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour event in Knoxville, Tennessee. Monahan headed to Texas and later appeared on CBS as the third round was ending.
“To see the devastation on the faces of every player coming in is really difficult to see and really just profound,” Monahan said. “Grayson was a remarkable player, but he was a very courageous man. I've always loved that about him.”
Murray, who had dealt with alcohol and mental health issues in the past, made a massive turnaround this year and won the Sony Open, hitting a wedge to 3 feet for birdie on the final hole to get into a playoff and winning it with a 40-foot putt. It was his second PGA Tour title. His first victory came in 2017 at the Barbasol Championship.
“It was a huge shock. My heart sank,” said Webb Simpson, who learned of Murray's death shortly before teeing off at Colonial. He said Murray was the first winner of his junior tournament and they shared the same swing coach as juniors.
“I just hate it so much,” Simpson said. “I'm going to miss him. I'm thankful he was in the place with his faith before this morning happened.”
Murray was No. 58 in the world rankings coming off a tie for 43rd in the PGA Championship last week at Valhalla. He also made the cut in his Masters debut, finishing 51st, and was in the field for the U.S. Open next month at Pinehurst No. 2.
Murray, who grew up in North Carolina, was among the most talented juniors in the country. He won the prestigious Junior World Championship in San Diego for three straight years and earned the Arnold Palmer Scholarship at Wake Forest.
He wound up going to three colleges, lastly at Arizona State, and won as a 22-year-old PGA Tour rookie at the Barbasol Championship.
Murray said in January that he had been sober for eight months, was engaged to be married, had become a Christian and felt his best golf was ahead of him. He was appointed to the 16-member Player Advisory Council.
“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.”
Murray said he used to drink during tournament weeks as a rookie because he knew he had talent and felt he was invincible. He also brought attention to himself through social media, openly criticizing other players and getting into one social media spat with Kevin Na over Na's reputation as a slow player.
But he felt like he turned the corner when he sought help — letting others fight for him, is how he explained it this year.
“It took me a long time to get to this point,” Murray said in January. “That was seven years ago, over seven years ago. I’m a different man now. I would not be in this position right now today if I didn’t put that drink down eight months ago.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.