Professional golfer Grayson Murray, a two-time PGA Tour winner who had spoken openly about his struggles with depression and alcohol, died Saturday at the age of 30.
His death was confirmed in a statement by the PGA Tour, but the cause or place of death was not disclosed.
“The PGA Tour is a family, and when we lose a member of it, it’s never the same,” tour commissioner Jay Monahan said in a statement.
After sinking a 40-foot putt to win the Sony Open in Hawaii in January, Murray rose to a career-high 46th in the Official World Golf Rankings. The tournament marked the culmination of a comeback for Murray after a turbulent few years in which he struggled with his mental health.
At the press conference after winning the Sony Open, Murray said he had been drinking alcohol during the tournament.
“The best and worst thing that could have happened to me was winning my rookie year but at the same time feeling invincible,” he said. “I’m a different person now. If I hadn’t quit drinking eight months ago, I wouldn’t be in this position right now.”
Murray added that he had been in rehab for a month. “Hopefully I can inspire a lot of people who are going through their own problems,” he said. Murray missed out on PGA Tour qualification for several months last year after a series of off-course incidents reflected a decline in his game.
He was suspended by the PGA following an alcohol-related incident at a Hawaii hotel bar in 2021, after which he posted on social media.
“Why was I drunk?” he wrote, adding, “I was an alcoholic who hated everything about PGA Tour life and that was my scapegoat.”
Golfer Phil Mickelson, who struggles with a gambling addiction, responded on social media at the time, saying, “If there’s anything I can do to help, I’d be happy to.”
Murray has performed well enough this year to qualify for the Masters Tournament and the PGA Championship. On Friday, he withdrew from the second round of the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas, citing illness.
According to his ESPN biography, Grayson Murray was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, on October 1, 1993. Information about survivors was not immediately available.
He attended Wake Forest University, East Carolina University and Arizona State University, and at age 16 became the second-youngest player to play on the Korn Ferry Tour, according to the PGA.
He played in the U.S. Open at age 19 and continued to turn heads at the 2017 Barbasol Championship, where he sank a five-foot putt to win by one stroke.
After losing his PGA Tour card for the 2023 season and erupting in anger at Monahan, he seems to be back on track, winning two Korn Ferry Tour tournaments last year, regaining his PGA eligibility and finishing in the top 10 in two events.
