Updated May 26, 2024 at 14:36 PM ET
If you or someone you know may be considering suicide or is in crisis, call or text 9-8-8 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Grayson Murray, a 30-year-old professional golfer and two-time PGA Tour winner, died on Saturday.
He died by suicide, his family said.
"We have spent the last 24 hours trying to come to terms with the fact that our son is gone," his parents Eric and Terry Murray said in a statement on Sunday shared by the PGA Tour. "It’s a nightmare."
Murray had spoken publicly about his struggles with depression and unhealthy alcohol use and how those issues fueled some of his lowest points in his professional career.
"Life wasn’t always easy for Grayson, and although he took his own life, we know he rests peacefully now," his parents said in the statement.
His death came a day after he withdrew from the Charles Schwab Challenge, citing an unspecified illness. Playing in Fort Worth, Texas, on Friday he was 5 over par when he pulled out during the second round of the tournament with two holes remaining.
The PGA Tour announced his death in a statement on Saturday: "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 the statement. “The PGA TOUR is a family, and when you lose a member of your family, you are never the same. We mourn Grayson and pray for comfort for his loved ones. “
At age 23, the Raleigh, N.C., native won his first PGA Tour title with the Barbasol Championship in 2017 — his rookie year. But his game struggled in the seasons that followed, according to the PGA Tour press release.
At the Sony Open, he recalled that first year on the PGA Tour. “I was young and thought I was invincible — wasn’t doing the correct stuff off the course to really give myself the best chance to succeed out here,” he told reporters.
Last year, he found success again on the Korn Ferry Tour, placing fourth and earning back his spot on the PGA Tour.
He appeared to be on a career comeback after winning the Sony Open in Hawaii in January — his first PGA Tour victory in seven years.
At the time, he credited sobriety and his supportive family for helping him feel “more at peace inside the ropes.”
“I’m over eight months sober now. I have a beautiful fiancée that I love so much and who is so supportive of me, and my parents are so supportive of me,” he said. “They’re right there with me when I do have those hard days.”
In addition to his parents, Murray is survived by his brother Cameron and sister Erica.
His parents thanked the golfing community for its support in the wake of their son's death.
They also issued a plea — to "honor Grayson by being kind to one another."
Copyright 2024 NPR
