Golfer Grayson Murray died by suicide, his parents have revealed in a statement.
Murray, a two-time winner on the PGA Tour, died at the age of 30 – 24 hours after withdrawing during the second round the Charles Schwab Challenge in Texas. He had told his playing partners he was feeling unwell.
‘Life wasn’t always easy for Grayson, and although he took his own life, we know he rests peacefully now,’ read the statement from his parents released by the PGA on Sunday.
Eric and Terry Murray asked to ‘respect’ their privacy as they ‘work through this incredible tragedy.’
‘We have spent the last 24 hours trying to come to terms with the fact that our son is gone,’ Eric and Terry Murray’s statement began. 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.
Golfer Grayson Murray died by suicide, his parents have revealed in a statement
Eric and Terry Murray revealed their son’s suicide in a statement that was released by the PGA
‘We have so many questions that have no answers,’ the statement continued. ‘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.’
The couple also thanked the PGA and ‘the golf world’ for the ‘outpouring of support’ they have received.
In closing, the Murrays asked fans to ‘honor Grayson by being kind to one another.’
‘If that becomes his legacy, we could ask for nothing else,’ they concluded.
Grayson Murray’s mother, Terry (right), released the statement with her husband Eric
Jay Monahan revealed how Murray inspired the Tour to improve its mental health programs
Earlier, PGA Commissioner Jay Monahan revealed how Murray inspired the tour to improve its mental health programs before his tragic death.
Murray was open about his struggles with alcohol and mental health, once saying: ‘I’m not ashamed that I go through depression and anxiety.’
Back in 2021, however, he called out the Tour for not helping him during his dark days. The Tweet, which was later deleted, read: ‘No the PGA Tour didn’t force me to drink. But the PGA Tour never gave me help.
‘In my 5 years of experience of being on tour not once have I ever had a request been acknowledged by the commissioner or the PAC (Player Advisory Council) other than ”We will get back to you.
‘I hope not only the PGA tour steps up in the areas they need to step up but I also hope people are held accountable in their roles they serve.’
On Saturday, shortly after announcing Murray’s death, Monahan revealed how that Tweet prompted him to spend time with the golfer – and make improvements to how the tour deals with mental health.
‘When Grayson said that, I called him right away,’ Monahan said at Colonial Country Club, having flown in from the Tour’s headquarters in Florida.
‘Over the last several years, I spent a lot of time with him because I wanted to understand what we could do in his estimation, in his opinion, to help everybody else out here.
‘We’ve made a number of advancements along those lines and it’s become a real point of focus and emphasis. We’re proud of the programs we have in place to support our players, to support everybody out here.
Monahan had earlier said Murray’s death left him ‘lost for words’.
He later added: ‘I’m devastated by Grayson’s loss, obviously, but — not but — the conversations I had with him, particularly the last year, I learned an awful lot from him.
‘He was very open and transparent with me. Most importantly, I think back to how he was interested in real estate and how he had become interested in things he wasn’t interested in before. He talked about just the peace he had in his life.’
Murray was particularly open about his off-course struggles following the Sony Open in Hawaii in January, when he won his second PGA Tour title.
‘Everything he talked about after he won the Sony Open, he talked to a lot of people about, and I found inspiration in that personally, and I also found inspiration in that as a leader of this Tour.’