The PGA World Reacts To Grayson Murray's Death

The golf community is mourning the death of pro golfer Grayson Murray, one of the many athletes who've died in 2024. According to CNN, the beloved two-time PGA Tour winner died on May 25 at age 30, roughly 24 hours after withdrawing from the Charles Schwab Challenge taking place in Fort Worth, Texas. "We were devastated to learn — and are heartbroken to share — that PGA TOUR player Grayson Murray passed away this morning. I am at a loss for words," PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said in a statement. "We mourn Grayson and pray for comfort for his loved ones."

According to ESPN, Murray's parents confirmed he died by suicide. However, he cited an unspecified illness upon his withdrawal from the tournament on May 24. Murray, who was engaged to his fiancée, Christiana Ritchie, also had a history of mental health issues. "It's not easy," he revealed following the Sony Open (via the New York Post). "I wanted to give up a lot of times. Give up on myself. Give up on the game of golf. Give up on life, at times." He continued, "When you get tired of fighting, let someone else fight for you. ... I hope everyone at home watching can get a little inspiration from it. If I can just help one person, that's all it takes ... I knew today was not going to change my life, but it did change my career, and I'm excited."

In light of Murray's passing, the golf community is paying tribute.

Grayson Murray's untimely death kicked off a wave of tributes from his golf peers and friends, who feel he died too young. Pro golfer Smylie Kaufman took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to honor his longtime friend. "I'm just heartbroken hearing about the passing of Grayson Murray," tweeted Kaufman. "He was a friend to me at some of my lowest points in my career and I'll always be appreciative of that. I will miss him very much but I know he is in good hands now." Kaufman also tweeted a sweet anecdote about Murray acknowledging his 5-year-old daughter's birthday after he'd won a golf tournament.

One of things sticking with me right now about Grayson was how genuine and personable he was. On Wednesday at Sony this year we caught up and I was telling him that I was flying home Monday for my daughter's first birthday. Five days after our conversation Grayson is holding up a... pic.twitter.com/qbux0ojJ7L

— Smylie Kaufman (@SmylieKaufman10) May 26, 2024

Webb Simpson, also Murray's friend, shared an emotional statement with CBS Sports. "It was a huge shock," Simpson said. "My heart sank." Simpson, who also revealed that Murray had recently gotten closer to God, added, "I just played with him at Charlotte the first two days... His game looked good. I just hate it." 

Meanwhile, Peter Malnati cried while speaking to the outlet. "It's a huge loss for all of us on the PGA Tour, it's a huge loss for our fans," Malnati said. "In a time like this you realize that as much as we want to beat each other and as much as we want to be competitive, we're one big family. And we lost one today, and that's terrible."

Sports organizations have also begun paying tribute to Grayson Murray, whose impact on the sport reached every corner of the golfing community. "The LPGA extends our most heartfelt condolences to Grayson Murray's family, friends, fans, fellow professional golfers as well as PGA TOUR staff and the entire golf community," the LPGA wrote. "Professional golf is a tight-knit community, and our thoughts and prayers are with the PGA TOUR and all of his loved ones as we mourn together during this difficult time." Meanwhile, The Golf Channel posted a 16-minute tribute to Murray's career to its YouTube channel.

The RBC Canadian Open also posted a tribute on X. "We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Grayson Murray. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family & loved ones. Grayson's presence & talent will be dearly missed in the world of golf," it said. "Our thoughts are with all who knew & admired him. Rest in peace, Grayson." Meanwhile, The Korn Ferry Tour alerted members via text about plans to set aside tournament time to honor Murray. "To honor the life of Grayson Murray and his accomplishments on both the Korn Ferry Tour and the PGA Tour, play will suspend for a 3 minute moment of remembrance," read the official notice.

Our thoughts are with Murray's family, friends, and fans. 

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