Grayson Murray, PGA Tour winner, dies at 30 after withdrawing from Colonial

FORT WORTH, Texas — Grayson Murray, a two-time PGA Tour winner, died Saturday at the age of 30, the PGA Tour announced. 

Murray withdrew Friday from the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth this weekend. 

“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. 

The Charles Schwab Challenge continued Saturday at the request of Murray’s family, Monahan said in a statement. Grief Counselors will be available at the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour events this weekend, the statement reads. 

“I reached out to Grayson’s parents to offer our deepest condolences, and during that conversation, they asked that we continue with tournament play,” Monahan said. “They were adamant that Grayson would want us to do so. As difficult as it will be, we want to respect their wishes.”

The Colonial Country Club in a statement described Grayson as a “talented golfer, but most importantly, a human being that was truly loved by many.”

“The golf community is small. When one hurts, we all feel it tremendously,” the statement continued. “We will all hug our loved ones tonight a little tighter and remember our friend, Grayson Murray.”

At the Colonial Country Club Saturday, many people remembered Grayson’s legacy.

Commissioner Monahan traveled from Florida to be in Fort Worth to be with the players and fans.

“There’s a lot of people that are going to be carrying a heavy heart out at the PGA Tour,” he said. “There’s a family that…is obviously devastated that we need to support.”

Several golfers also spoke on Grayson’s legacy. Some said they found out about the news right after they finished their round for the day.

“You don’t think it’s real at first…and you know…you hear the emotion…coming…from our swing coach and then you realize it’s real,” said PGA golfer Webb Simpson. He met Grayson when he was a kid.

PGA Tour golfer Peter Malnati was overcome with emotion when talking about Grayson.

“In a time like this you realize as much as we want to beat each other as much as we want to be competitive, we really are one big family, and we lost one today,” he said.

Murray won two PGA Tour titles in his career, the first in 2017 and the second at this year’s Sony Open in Hawaii. Murray won three consecutive Callaway Junior World Championships from 2006 to 2008. He is from Raleigh, North Carolina.