Grayson Murray holds up the trophy after winning the Sony Open golf event, on Jan. 14, 2024, at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu. The 30-year-old man passed away on 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, passed away on Saturday. The cause of his death was not announced.
His death came a day after he withdrew from the Charles Schwab Challenge on Saturday, citing an unspecified illness. Playing in Fort Worth, Texas, he was 5-over when he withdrew in the second round of the tournament with two holes remaining.
“We are heartbroken to hear – and heartbroken to share – that PGA TOUR player Grayson Murray passed away this morning. I am speechless,” PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said in a statement. “The PGA TOUR is a family and when you lose a family member, you are never the same again. We mourn Grayson and pray for the comfort of his loved ones. “
Murray has spoken publicly about his struggles with depression and unhealthy alcohol use and how those issues fueled some of the lowest points of his professional career. But he seems to be getting his career back on track after his win Sony Open in Hawaii in January – his first PGA Tour win in seven years.
At age 23, the Raleigh, NC native won his first PGA Tour title with the Barbasol Championship in 2017 – his rookie year. But his game struggled in the following seasons, according to a PGA Tour press release.
At the Sony Open, he recalled his first year on the PGA Tour. “I was young and thought I was invincible — didn’t do the right things on the course to really give myself the best chance to succeed here,” he told reporters.
Last year, he found success again on the Korn Ferry Tour, finishing fourth and regaining his spot on the PGA Tour.
In January, he credited sobriety and the support of his family with helping him feel “more at peace on the wire.”
“I have now been sober for over eight months. I have a beautiful fiancee that I love very much and she always supports me, and my parents also support me very much.” he say. “They were right there with me when I went through those difficult days.”
