Grayson Murray dies at age 30 one day after withdrawing from Colonial, PGA Tour says

Two-time PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray died Saturday morning at the age of 30, a day after withdrawing from the Charles Schwab Cup Challenge at Colonial.

There were no immediate details about the circumstances of his death, only shock and grief on the part of the PGA Tour and its management team.

“I’m at a loss for words,” PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said. “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.

His management company, GSE Worldwide, confirmed the death and said it was heartbroken.

“We will wait to comment until we have more details, but our hearts ache for his family, friends and all those who loved him during this very difficult time,” GSE said in a statement.

Monahan said he spoke with Murray’s parents to offer his condolences and that they asked that the tournament in Fort Worth, Texas, continue.

He said grief counselors will be on hand at PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour events in Knoxville, Tennessee. Monahan traveled to Texas and later appeared on CBS as the third round concluded.

“Seeing the devastation on the faces of every player that comes in is really hard to see and really just profound,” Monahan said. “Grayson was a remarkable player, but he was a very courageous man. I always liked that about him.

Murray, who had suffered from 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 advance to the playoff and winning it with a 40-foot putt.

He also won the Barbasol Championship in 2017.

“It was a huge shock. My heart sank,” said Webb Simpson, who learned of Murray’s death shortly before starting at Colonial. He said Murray was the first winner of his junior tournament and they shared the same swing coach as the juniors.

“I hate it so much,” Simpson said. ” I miss him. I’m thankful he was there with his faith before this morning came.

Murray was No. 58 in the world rankings after being tied for 43rd in the PGA Championship last week at Valhalla. He also made his Masters debut, finishing 51st, and was in the field for the U.S. Open next month at No. 2 Pinehurst.

Murray, who grew up in North Carolina, was among the most talented juniors in the country. He won the prestigious World Junior Championship in San Diego three years in a row and earned the Arnold Palmer Scholarship at Wake Forest.

He ended up attending three colleges, finally at Arizona State, and won as a PGA Tour rookie at the age of 22 at the Barbasol Championship.

Murray said in January that he was eight months sober, was engaged, had become a Christian and believed his best golf was ahead of him. He was named to the 16-member Player Advisory Council.

“My story is not over. I think it’s just beginning,” Murray said in Hawaii. “I hope I can inspire a lot of people who have their own problems.”

Murray said he used to drink during tournament weeks as a rookie because he knew he had talent and felt invincible. He also attracted attention to himself via social media, openly criticizing other players and getting into a social media argument with Kevin Na over Na’s reputation as a slow player.

But he felt like he had turned a corner when he asked for 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, more than seven years ago. I’m a different man now. I wouldn’t be in this position today if I hadn’t stopped drinking eight months ago.

Peter Malnati played with Murray at Colonial. He offered to go on the CBS television show Saturday afternoon and immediately broke down when trying to talk about himself.

“It’s a huge loss for all of us on the PGA Tour,” Malnati said. “As much as we want to fight, we are one big family and we lost one today. It’s terrible.”

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This story has been corrected to show that Murray won the Barbasol championship in 2017, not last year.

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