PGA Tour star Grayson Murray dies at age 30

FORT WORTH, Texas — Grayson Murray, a two-time PGA Tour winner who struggled with alcohol problems and depression, has died, PGA Tour officials said.

Murray played the first round and part of the second round of the Charles Schwab Challenge this week, but withdrew from the event after 16 holes on Friday due to illness.

No cause of death was given, but PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan issued a statement to staff and players saying grief counselors would be available and the tournament will go on as scheduled.

He attended Wake Forest University, East Carolina University and Arizona State University and later won the 2017 Barbasol Championship and the 2024 Sony Open in Hawaii.

“We were devastated to learn – and heartbroken to share – that PGA Tour player Grayson Murray passed away this morning,” Monahan said in his note. “I am at a loss for words. The PGA Tour is a family and when you lose a family member, you are never the same. We mourn the loss of Grayson and pray for comfort for his loved ones. I have contacted Grayson’s parents to express our deepest condolences and during that conversation they asked us to continue with tournament play, insisting that this is what Grayson would have wanted.

“As difficult as it will be, we want to respect their wishes. The PGA Tour is making grief counselors available at both tournament sites, as well as virtually for those who are not in person. I am en route to Fort Worth and will share more information as soon as we can.”

After winning three consecutive IMG Junior World Championship titles starting in 2006, he became the second-youngest player to make the cut in a Korn Ferry Tour event at age 16. He also competed in the 2013 US Open at Merion as an amateur.

Murray showed promise on the court, winning the 2017 Barbasol despite drinking alcohol during the week of the tournament. In January, he admitted he had been playing with a three-day hangover at the time of his victory.

“The best and worst thing that ever happened to me was winning my rookie year,” he said. “I think the alcohol brought out a side of me that wasn’t me. In a way, it was the monster inside me.”

Photos: PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray through the years

But the early success was short-lived. He struggled to make cuts and admitted to being jealous of players he competed against in his youth who were more successful. Along the way, he got into an argument with a teammate on Twitter, suffered a scooter accident in Bermuda in 2022 and threatened to quit on several occasions. Murray also struggled with anxiety and depression and said there were days when he didn’t want to get out of bed.

“I just thought I was a failure,” he said. “I thought I had a lot of talent, but this was just a waste of talent.”

However, it seemed like his life had turned around as Murray became sober in 2023.

“It was a conscious decision,” he said. “It was time.”

After two wins on the Korn Ferry Tour last year, he regained his exempt status on the PGA Tour and viewed his return to the big leagues as a fresh start.

Murray, a native of Raleigh, North Carolina, said he would approach the 2024 season as if it were his rookie year all over again.

“I was young and thought I was invincible. I didn’t do the right things off the course to really give myself the best chance of success here,” he said. “My scooter accident in Bermuda was really a low point in my life. You know, I’ve obviously been open about my drinking in the past. I’ve been sober for over eight months now. I have a beautiful fiancée who I love very much and who is so supportive, and my parents are so supportive.”

Murray caused a stir on social media in 2021 when he revealed his struggles with tour life, which he said had turned him into an alcoholic. Murray claimed he was on probation from the PGA Tour after getting drunk in a hotel bar in Hawaii, despite causing “no scene at all.” He also expressed disappointment that the tour had not helped him deal with his drinking problem.