Grayson Murray holds the trophy after winning the Sony Golf Open at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu on January 14, 2024. 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 champion, died Saturday. His cause of death has not yet been released.
He died a day after he withdrew from the Charles Schwab Challenge on Saturday, citing an unknown illness. Playing in Fort Worth, Texas, he withdrew with two holes remaining in the second round at 5-over par.
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said in a statement: “We are shocked and saddened to share the news that PGA Tour player Grayson Murray passed away this morning. I am speechless.
Murray has spoken openly about his battles with depression and unhealthy drinking, and how they contributed to some of the lowest points of his career. But his career appeared to be on a comeback after winning the Sony Open in Hawaii in January – his first PGA Tour victory in seven years.
At age 23, the Raleigh, N.C., native won his first PGA Tour title in 2017, his rookie year, with the Barbasol Championship. But his game faltered over the next few seasons, according to a PGA Tour news release.
At the Sony Open, he recalled his first year on the PGA Tour. “I was young and thought I was invincible, but I didn’t do the right things off the court to really give myself the best chance to succeed here,” he told reporters.
He had another successful season last year on the Korn Ferry Tour, finishing fourth and regaining his spot on the PGA Tour.
In January, he credited sobriety and his supportive family with helping him feel “more at peace within the ropes.”
“I’ve been sober for over eight months now. I have a beautiful fiancée who I love very much and she’s very supportive and my parents are very supportive,” he said. “They were there for me when I was going through those tough days.”
