PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan and Golf Central’s Todd Lewis and Johnson Wagner remember Grayson Murray, explaining how the two-time PGA Tour winner “inspired” others throughout his life. #GolfChannel #GolfCentral #GraysonMurray
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Remembering the life and legacy of Grayson Murray | Golf Central | Golf Channel
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good evening I’m rich learner there is sad news to report tonight Grayson Murray who won the Sony Open in Hawaii just this past January has died at the age of 30 details of his passing aren’t yet known when Murray won in Honolulu this year it was a dramatic story he had been open about his struggles with anxiety and alcoholism saying he hoped he would be able to inspire people going forward gron Murray was born in North Carolina he put together a stellar Junior record so good that he made a cut on the corn Ferry tour as a 16-year-old he then began his college career at Wake Forest before transferring to East Carolina and then Arizona State turned Pro in 2015 won on the corn Ferry tour then graduated to the PGA tour in 2017 he won the barbasol championship four years later he entered hazeldon Betty for in Minnesota to help deal with alcoholism saying he got sober in 2023 at the Sony open this year Murray made a birdie on the 72nd hle to get into a playoff with benan and Keegan Bradley here on the first extra hole Murray made this 38f footer for birdie in the win he was in the field at Colonial this week he opened with a 68 he was just on that cut line at two over par on his second round playing the 16th hole before withdraw dra citing illness we’re joined Now by PGA Tour commissioner J Monahan from the Charles Schwab challenge at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth and commissioner thank you for joining us in our condolences to the PGA Tour family it’s a difficult day uh just curious what is it you’d like to share right now with our golf audience the golf family well rich it’s absolutely a a heartbreaking and devastating day and um you know to know that um we’ve lost Grayson Murray um a player that’s played out on the PGA tour since 2017 um you know has had three wins on the corn fairy tour two wins on the PGA tour and you know this is a this is a a family out here this is a Brotherhood and we travel from week to week and players go through their careers and they have highs uh and they have lows and they see that amongst each other they help each other yet at the same time they’re competing fiercely against each other every single week as you guys well document and the families extend to the caddies uh to the management Community uh to the tournament organizations um out here every you know across our tours the PJ tour and corn fairy tour in particular for uh for Grayson and The Wider Golf World um that has responded to this devastating news you know I think it’s just um really to express our our support for Grayson’s family um to express uh my and our support for uh everybody out here as we mourn the loss of of gracon Murray uh a man that I had an opportunity to spend a lot of time with uh through the years um and I I’m so incredibly saddened by today’s news uh Jay he had been open about his personal battles you described Grayson Murray in your recent interview on CBS as courageous what made him in your estimation courageous well rich I and I don’t know if you guys have done this already but if you go back to the Sony Open and his win in that playoff and then go back and you look at the trans script uh from uh his post- round interview and you know he talked so openly about um you know about his challenges and to me um that’s the sign of courage and and um I I personally spent a lot of time with Grayson over the last year and we had a lot of personal and private conversations and I experienced that myself firsthand and um it was wonderful to see him um be playing with the confidence and skill we all know and he knew that he had and to have you know and and to be experiencing that success and that’s why you know it makes today’s news so devastating for for everybody commissioner he said he withdrew yesterday due to illness what more if anything did you learn about that illness I I have not learned anything more about uh the reasons for his withdrawal yesterday I know you spoke to Grayson’s family what did they convey to you you know we just um I reached out to them when um I was made aware of the news and um I first was calling to obviously express my condolences but to let them know that as an organization we’re here to support them in any and every capacity um you know and they were they’re obviously shocked I mean it’s a family that’s together that has just lost a loved one and they were you know they were together and you know we talked about today and what we could do today and and um a lot of you know I talked openly about you know some of the considerations here at the tournament and you know knowing how devastating this would be to everybody out here talked about um you know cancelling uh today’s round so everybody had the appropriate time to reflect on on graceon Murray and you know they were they were they were adamant that Grayson would want the players to play on he wouldn’t want to get in the middle of uh a championship like this one with players trying to to win but ultimately um that conversation was an opportunity for me to share um some of the stories um that and memories I have with Grayson but more more more particularly um just to let them share um what was important to them and um obviously those are is a very very difficult call to make and you know our actions will out here will suggest that they’re going to over the coming weeks we’ll show them the support that they have uh tomorrow Jay for the the final round what might you do uh to honor his passing you know what I I listen we’re here I’m going to go back in and talk to the players uh and others that are still here and we’ll get together as a team and um you know it’s it’s it’s about tomorrow it’s about the coming days it’s about the months ahead it’s you know what are you going to do to you know to honor um Grayson and to support his family and um that work will begin in Earnest but right now I think everyone’s you know just trying to you know absorb this news and and reflect on on the man himself tough day and more ahead commissioner J Maham we appreciate your time tonight and again condolences uh to that family of the PGA Tour all right this now from Grayson Murray’s caddy Jay green Grayson was the absolute best Not only was he an incred inedible thoughtful and generous boss he was an even better friend truly would do anything for anyone he has the best family and my heart goes out to them we will all miss him deeply that from Jay green Grayson Murray’s caddy let’s bring in Todd Lewis right now Todd covered the Sony Open in Hawaii did the interview with Grayson right after he made that 38f footer on the first extra hole to win in the playoff Todd I know you’ve been reaching out to people with whom Grayson was close including his coach Josh Gregory what did Josh share with you well first off um his coaches spent the most time with him uh not only in regards to being on the driving range and on the golf course but also off the course as well and Josh Gregory probably had the heaviest influence off the golf course in regards to Grayson Murray um I spoke with Josh this afternoon he was quite emotional as you might imagine and he wanted everyone to know that nobody treated people better than Grayson Murray he was a great person and he talked about um the instance where Grayson flew Josh and his family out to Hawaii to celebrate a win on the PGA tour and the great year that they had had other coaches that worked with him Scott Hamilton who works with a lot of players out on the PGA tour um had a chance to exchange some messages with him he said this is just a tragedy if you consider that Grayson was getting his life back together and this is an unbelievable loss David Woods also worked as a coach with Grayson Murray and he said that he just had a heart of gold so those are the people that were probably the closest and most intimate with him um on the PGA tour and yeah and all of us are just saddened by by what has happened T what’s your recollection of the joy and the satisfaction uh that Grayson L hat after having won the Sony Open and you interviewed him well Rich it’s a great question to appreciate the joy you have to look back at what he was going through when he came out on the PGA tour between PJ tour and the corn fairy tour um it’s not a secret he he battled mental health issues anxiety depression he battled alcoholism um he had a lot of scary moments in his life um but just over a year ago he decided after feeling comfortable enough in this time in our lives where it’s okay to not be okay to ultimately try to tackle these issues got counseling um he stopped drinking uh he made a commitment to his body going into the gym and working out a lot um getting in great shape incredible shape U made a commitment to his golf game of course and off the course in regards to um you know having someone there for him he he met someone fell in love and and and was engaged and got engaged and and when I had a chance to interview him after his second PJ tour Victory I looked back at the player and the person that was in grent Murray prior to this commitment and to the person that he is now and I said wow took a lot of Courage for you to look yourself in the mirror and face these issues and do something about it and you out on the other side not only with a victory and holding a trophy but with with what looks to be a victory in life and going down a positive Road and and Recovery um so I I was inspired he openly talked about wanting to help and Inspire others with his story and you know he said this and this was said to him prior to that final round by his coach Josh Gregory he he said a win today is not going to change your life it’s going to change your career but what you’re doing is actually changing your life off the golf course was in and Grayson like I said echoed those comments after so I thought he was in a a peaceful wonderful place and going in a wonderful Direction and considering his story to have his life cut so short yeah it’s it’s really tragic Todd he said on that Sunday night after he won the Sony Open in Hawaii my story is not finished I think it is just the beginning this is the start of something really special uh Todd thank you this now from Scotty sheffler world number one obviously the news has not really sunk in quite yet but I’m thinking about his family and praying hard for all of them can’t imagine how difficult of a time this is got to know Grayson a bit better over the last six months or so and yeah really just there’s not really a way to put it into words how sad and tragic it is but I’m thinking about his family this from Luke Donald devastating news that graceon Murray is passed away he asked me for some advice on how to play Augusta a few months ago last week I saw him at the PGA Championship life truly is precious my condolences and prayers to his whole family that they may find some peace babba Watson very sad to hear the news of Grayson Murray’s passing today life is so fragile I was just hugging you at the Masters telling you how proud of you I am thankful to have known you my deepest condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time he will be missed and Justin Thomas speechless to hear about grayon guy had been through so many ups and downs to get where he was i h so much for his family and the people closest to him my condolences and deepest sympathies Johnson Wagner has joined us this evening Johnson how much golf if at all did you play with Grace and Murray how well did you know him well heard about him living in Charlotte North Carolina I heard about him as a junior and knew how good he was and when he came out on the PGA tour he really wanted to play a practice round with me I I don’t know why and we finally got to play at the Players Championship and uh just blown away by his talent and and he was fun to be out with and so we played a few more practice rounds over the years couple competitive rounds uh you know echoing everybody’s statements it’s it’s uh we all have our faults not a single person on this Earth is perfect and for for Grayson to have turned his life around the way he did uh and to reach that Mountaintop again at the Sony uh his life was on track it’s just uh it’s just really really tragic a horrible horrible day and U I just feel really bad for his friends and family um you’re getting quite a few text messages what’s the sentiment uh a little bit of disbelief um just knowing how Grayson was received on the PJ tour in his early years and now how he’s been this past year all the friends he’s he’s made and his faith in Jesus Christ has really gotten him in a different sort of circle with Scotty Sheffer and web and and and just in Bubba and and and hearing these guys talk it’s just it’s just kind of I think everybody’s a little bit shocked and stunned yeah you just never know again things professionally seem to have have taken a turn uh for the better the win in Hawaii he made the cut at both the majors the Masters and the PGA Championship but again you just uh never do know our condolences again uh he has passed away at the age of 30 we don’t know the specifics the details but PG tour veteran Grayson Murray winner of the Sony Open in Hawaii earlier this year has passed away may his memory be a blessing
