As the third round of the Charles Schwab Challenge picked up Saturday, news broke of PGA Tour golfer Grayson Murray’s sudden death at the age of 30. He withdrew from the tournament yesterday, citing an illness, before Jay Monahan announced his passing Saturday afternoon.
As word made its way around the game, Bubba Watson took to social media to pay tribute to Murray.
“Very sad to hear the news of Grayson Murray’s passing today,” Watson wrote. “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.”
Murray was 5-over during the second round prior to his withdrawal, which came after he shot a 68 to open play this week. He cited an illness at the time, although details are still scare after the announcement came out.
In a press release, Monahan said he was en route to Fort Worth and the hope is the Tour will have more information soon.
“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,” Monahan said in a 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.
“I reached out to Grayson’s parents to offer our deepest condolences, and during that conversation, they asked that we continue with tournament play. They were adamant that Grayson would want us to do so. As difficult as it will be, we want to respect their wishes.”
More on Grayson Murray’s career
Murray started out the 2024 season strong, winning the Sony Open in Hawaii with a score of 17-under. He then missed three cuts in four tournaments, but got back on track when he finished 25th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March.
One month later, Murray played in his first career Masters at Augusta National, finishing 51st in the field at 10-over. He also played in last week’s PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville and came in tied for 43rd with a score of 6-under.
Murray played college golf at Wake Forest, East Carolina and Arizona State before turning professional in 2015. Prior to this season, his only other win on the Tour came in 2017. He didn’t play on the PGA Tour last year, but regained his card while playing on the Korn Ferry Tour.
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