Grayson Colby Murray (October 1, 1993 – May 25, 2024) was an American

professional golfer A professional golfer is somebody who receives payments or financial rewards in the sport of golf that are directly related to their skill or reputation. A person who earns money by teaching or playing golf is traditionally considered a "golf pr ...

. He won two

PGA Tour The PGA Tour (stylized as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also known as the PGA Tour, the PGA Tour Champion ...

events: the 2017 Barbasol Championship and the 2024

Sony Open in Hawaii The Sony Open in Hawaii is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, and is part of the tour's FedEx Cup Series. It has been contested at the Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaii, since the event's modern-day inception as the Hawaiian ...

Early life and career

Murray was born on October 1, 1993, in

Raleigh, North Carolina Raleigh ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most populous city in the state (after Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte) ...

. He won three straight Callaway Junior Championships from 2006 to 2008 and was the top-ranked golfer nationally in his age group. Murray attended Leesville Road High School in Raleigh, where he competed in golf and won both a team and individual

North Carolina High School Athletic Association The North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) is the governing organization of high school athletics in North Carolina, United States. The association maintains the official rule books and governs the officiating standards across ...

(NCHSAA) 4A state championship. Murray enrolled at

Wake Forest University Wake Forest University (WFU) is a private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1834, the university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina. The R ...

. Uncomfortable there, he transferred to

East Carolina University East Carolina University (ECU) is a public university in Greenville, North Carolina, United States. It is the List of universities in North Carolina by enrollment, fourth largest university in North Carolina and the only one in the state with s ...

after one semester, but left ECU's golf team after eight weeks due to disagreements with the coach. He committed to transfer to the

University of North Carolina at Greensboro The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG or UNC Greensboro) is a public research university in Greensboro, North Carolina. It is part of the University of North Carolina, University of North Carolina system. It is accredited by the S ...

, but opted instead to skip a semester. Murray enrolled at

Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public university, public research university in Tempe, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 as Territorial Normal School by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, the university is o ...

in 2014. He played in the 2013 U.S. Open as an amateur.

Professional career

Murray earned conditional status on the 2016

Web.com Tour The Korn Ferry Tour is the developmental tour for the U.S.-based PGA Tour, and features professional golfers who have either not yet reached the PGA Tour, or who have done so but then failed to win enough FedEx Cup points to stay at that level. T ...

by tying for 74th at Q School. A tie for tenth at the

Rex Hospital Open The UNC Health Championship (formerly Rex Hospital Open) is a regular golf tournament on the Korn Ferry Tour. It is played annually at the Raleigh Country Club in Raleigh, North Carolina. Winners Bolded golfers graduated to the PGA Tour via the ...

in his native North Carolina, in which he competed on a sponsor exemption, gave him entry into the following tournament, where he tied for eighth and guaranteed himself full playing time for the rest of the season. He had four further top 10s, including a playoff loss at the Digital Ally Open, and finished 18th on the regular-season money list, earning a

card for 2017. On July 23, 2017, he earned his first PGA Tour victory by winning the Barbasol Championship. Murray won twice on the Korn Ferry Tour during the 2023 season, winning the AdventHealth Championship and the Simmons Bank Open, the latter being a Korn Ferry Finals event. These results earned Murray a tour card for the 2024 PGA Tour season. On January 14, 2024, Murray earned his second PGA Tour victory by winning the

in a playoff.

Personal life and death

Murray struggled with alcoholism, anxiety, and depression. Following the 2014 Southern Amateur, which he walked away from while near the lead, Murray was diagnosed with

social anxiety Social anxiety is the anxiety and fear specifically linked to being in social settings (i.e., interacting with others). Some categories of disorders associated with social anxiety include anxiety disorders, mood disorders, autism spectrum dis ...

. In October 2022, Murray was severely injured in a scooter crash in

Bermuda Bermuda is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. The closest land outside the territory is in the American state of North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. Bermuda is an ...

before the Butterfield Bermuda Championship, leading him to withdraw from the event. Murray was engaged to Christiana Ritchie as of 2024. He was a Christian. Murray died on May 25, 2024, at his home in

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida Palm Beach Gardens is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, Palm Beach County, Florida, United States, approximately 80 miles north of Miami. Palm Beach Gardens is a principal city of the Miami metropolitan area. The population was 59,182 at the ...

, at the age of 30. He withdrew from the Charles Schwab Challenge in

Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, Tarrant County, covering nearly into Denton County, Texas, Denton, Johnson County, Texas, Johnson, Parker County, Texas, Parker, and Wise County, Te ...

, the day before, citing an illness. The next day, his parents confirmed that he had died by

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...

. Players on the tour honored Murray by wearing red-and-black ribbons during the final round of the Charles Schwab Challenge; Murray had previously worn those colors in a tribute to the

Carolina Hurricanes The Carolina Hurricanes (colloquially known as the Canes) are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Hurricanes compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Con ...

, of which he was a fan.

Amateur wins

*2006 Callaway Junior World Golf Championship (Boys 11–12) *2007 Callaway Junior World Golf Championship (Boys 13–14) *2008 Callaway Junior World Golf Championship (Boys 13–14)

Professional wins (6)

PGA Tour wins (2)

PGA Tour playoff record (1–0) Source:

Korn Ferry Tour wins (3)

Korn Ferry Tour playoff record (0–1) Source:

eGolf Professional Tour wins (1)

Source:

Other wins (1)

*2015 New Hampshire Open

Results in major championships

CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
''Note: Murray never played in

The Open Championship The Open Championship, often referred to as The Open or the British Open, is the oldest golf tournament in the world, and one of the most prestigious. Founded in 1860, it was originally held annually at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland. Later th ...

.''

Results in The Players Championship

CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
C = canceled after the first round due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

PGA Tour career summary

¹ Money list ranking as of May 19, 2024, at the end of his last completed tournament.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Murray, Grayson American male golfers PGA Tour golfers Korn Ferry Tour graduates Golfers from Raleigh, North Carolina Wake Forest Demon Deacons men's golfers East Carolina Pirates athletes UNC Greensboro Spartans men's golfers Arizona State Sun Devils men's golfers Leesville Road High School alumni Suicides in Florida 1993 births 2024 deaths 2024 suicides 21st-century American sportsmen