PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray died by suicide, his parents confirmed in a statement, one day after the pro golfer passed away at age 30.
The parents of late PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray have confirmed the cause of their son’s death.
The pro golfer, who died May 25 at age 30, died by suicide, Eric and Terry Murray said in a statement.
“We have spent the last 24 hours trying to come to terms with the fact that our son is gone,” they wrote in a message posted on the PGA Tour’s Instagram May 26. “It’s surreal that we not only have to admit it to ourselves, but that we also have to acknowledge it to the world. It’s a nightmare.”
The couple said they “have so many questions that have no answers. But one.”
“Was Grayson loved? The answer is yes. But us, his brother Cameron, his sister Erica, all of his extended family, by his friends, by his fellow players and—it seems—by many of you who are reading this. He was loved and he will be missed,” the statement continued. “Life wasn’t always easy for Grayson, and although he took his own life, we know he rest peacefully now.”
The athlete, who won his second PGA Tour title at the Sony Open in Hawaii in January and was ranked the 58th top golfer in the world, died one day after he withdrew from the second round Charles Schwab Cup Challenge in Texas and following years of struggles with mental health and alcohol addiction.
“Please respect our privacy as we work through this incredible tragedy,” his parents said in their statement, “and please honor Grayson by being kind to one another. If that becomes his legacy, we could ask for nothing else.”
Grayson’s parents also thanked the PGA tour “and the entire world of golf for the outpouring of support.”
Following his death, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan had issued a statement. “We were devastated to learn—and are heartbroken to share—that PGA TOUR player Grayson Murray passed away this morning,” he said. “I am at a loss for words.”
He continued, “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.”
The commissioner also said that the Charles Schwab Cup Challenge would continue. “I reached out to Grayson’s parents to offer our deepest condolences, and during that conversation, they asked that we continue with tournament play,” he said in his statement. “They were adamant that Grayson would want us to do so.”