Grayson Murray, the pro golfer who died suddenly on May 25, did not have a wife or kids, but his family includes his parents, who were very involved in his golfing career. Over the years, his dad, Eric Murray, spoke out about his son’s struggles with anxiety, depression, and a concussion.
In a statement on May 26, Murray’s parents revealed that the golfer’s cause of death was suicide. “If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please call the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the United States at 988 or visit their website at http://988lifeline.org,” the PGA Tour wrote with the statement, in which Murray’s mom and dad wrote, “Life wasn’t always easy for Grayson, and although he took his own life, we know he rests peacefully now.” They asked people to honor his life through acts of kindness.
In a 2017 interview about his son’s mental health battles, Eric Murray described the challenges in detail but declared that his son was “my hero.”
“I’m telling you,” Eric Murray said then. “Grayson is my hero because I have seen first-hand how hard it’s been. Most people would have given up. Said it was too hard. Gone and gotten a real job. But here’s a kid who had a problem, everyone is telling him there’s no issue, and yet he just kept digging his heels in and finding a way to do what he always wanted to do in life.”
Murray also leaves behind a fiancee and his mom, Terry, who had her own brush with death in the past that left her with multiple surgeries and pain. But she still walked every hole of his tournaments without complaining, according to an Instagram post by Murray.
His last playing partner, Peter Malnati, broke down in tears during an interview with CBS Sports, describing how sad Murray’s death is, especially because things seemed to be looking up for him after so many struggles, from the engagement to be married to getting sober last July.
In October 2023, Murray wrote on Instagram, “What an incredible 30th birthday trip with my favorite people. Can’t wait what this decade brings me. GOD IS GREAT.”
Murray’s death at 30 years old was announced by the PGA Tour announced in a May 25 press release.
“We were devastated to learn – and are heartbroken to share – that PGA TOUR player Grayson Murray passed away this morning,” the PGA Tour wrote in a post on X. Murray had pulled himself out of the Charles Schwab Challenge in Texas on May 24, citing an unspecified illness, according to TMZ.
Grayson Murray’s Dad, Eric, Discussed the Effect of Social Media on His Son’s Mental Health
When Murray was a 23-year-old rookie with a social media following, his dad spoke to NBC Sports for a lengthy profile about the golfer. His dad works in the “auto parts industry,” NBC Sports reported.
“As a parent, I’m wishing and telling him my thoughts, but you have to live your own life and your own experiences,” Grayson’s father, Eric, told NBC Sports at that time. “With my older two kids, it was like a light came on when they hit 25 and they became an adult. That’s what I’m waiting for with Grayson.”
He also discussed his son’s social media controversies. “It’s very painful,” Eric Murray told NBC Sports at the time. “and I wish he would get off the social-media thing. It may help with his anxiety issues, and it may be therapeutic for him in a roundabout way, because he can converse with other people. But with some of the things I’ve seen, I’d have more anxiety if people were talking about me the way that they were.”
NBC Sports reported in that article that Murray had struggled with “social anxiety” and depression. According to NBC Sports, Murray’s first exposure to golf came using his mother’s clubs and playing with his dad and older brother, Cameron.
Sad to hear about the passing of Grayson Murray. I didn’t know him at all, but he was one of the people who reached out to me when I was struggling. I will always remember that. RIP.
Murray bounced around colleges and suffered a concussion, NBC Sports reported. “He was not only playing the top golfers in the world, but he was also battling himself, and that was the toughest battle of all,” his dad told NBC Sports. “He was already in trouble – the concussion just pushed him over the edge. The combination was overwhelming.” His father took him to see an anxiety specialist, according to NBC Sports.
Murray wrote on Instagram in July 2023 that he was now sober. “78 days ago i had my last drink. I was 648th in the world. flash forward and i’m 156th in the world,” he wrote. “I’ve put in a lot of hard work in other areas of my life since then as well. If something is holding you back from something great it’s about making sacrifices. I got a long ways to go to achieve my ultimate goals but i’m living proof that a little change can be the difference in something great in your life. All it takes is self discipline and a great support team.”
In May 2023, Murray opened up in an Instagram video about his battles.
“Yeah my parents have been through, you know, hell and back basically for the last six years with me fighting some mental stuff,” he said. “And it’s not easy on me and the people around me who love me. They don’t like to see me down. They’ve been my number one supporters, and everyone has their battles and sometimes people are able to hide them and function, and sometimes you’re not.”
He added that, “I think our society is getting better at accepting that it’s okay to not be okay type deal, and I’ve embraced that type of mentality. I’m not ashamed I go through depression and anxiety. I know I’ve helped people out in the past through my social media DMs. People message me and that’s you know. I can use my platform to continue to help with things like that.”
Grayson Murray’s Parents Wrote That His Death Was ‘Surreal’ & a ‘Nightmare’
A statement below from Grayson’s parents, Eric and Terry Murray.
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please call the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the United States at 988 or visit their website at t.co/j0traBx8ia.
In the statement announcing his cause of death, Murray’s parents expressed their grief.
“We have spent the last 24 hours trying to come to terms with the fact that our son is gone. 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. We have so many questions that have no answers. But one,” they wrote.
“Was Grayson loved? The answer is yes. By 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,” they wrote.
“We would like to thank the PGA tour and the entire world of golf for the outpouring of support. Life wasn’t always easy for Grayson, and although he took his own life, we know he rests peacefully now,” they added. “Please respect our privacy as we work through this incredible tragedy, and please honor Grayson by being kind to one another. If that becomes his legacy, we could ask for nothing else. Thank you.”
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan wrote in a May 25 press release that he had “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 that they were “adamant” about that because they said it’s what Murray would have wanted. “As difficult as it will be, we want to respect their wishes,” Monahan wrote.
He described the PGA Tour as being like 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.”
Grayson Murray’s Mom, Terry, Was Almost Killed in a ‘Freak Accident’ With an SUV, Reports Say
Murray’s mom, Terry, almost died when he was a kid, when she was “crushed by an SUV after a freak accident in the parking lot of a Bed Bath & Beyond,” NBC Sports reported. She had a “lengthy recovery,” the site reported.
“That taught him early on that you just have to fight,” his father told NBC Sports.
In 2021, Grayson Murray wrote about his mom’s accident in an Instagram post:
9 years ago today our family’s life changed. I remember being in the car with my dad in a Burger King drive-thru when he received a call from someone saying, “Your wife has been in a horrific accident you need to get to the hospital immediately”. He threw the $20, grabbed our food, and sped off. My mom was standing behind her minivan at the time in a Bed Bath& Beyond parking lot when a guy failed to leave his emergency break on his SUV pulling a trailer. That guy’s SUV rolled down a hill 93 yards and crushed my mom in between both vehicles. If it wasn’t for the help of a wonderful woman on the scene, first responders, all the doctors, nurses, family members, and God my mom wouldn’t be here today with us. The doctors not only were able to save her life but also both legs after a total of 11 surgeries. To this day, when she comes to my golf tournaments she walks every hole. I have never once heard her complain about the pain. Mom we love you and we love how brave you are.
Grayson Murray Gave His Family Shout Outs on His Instagram Page
GettyThe cause of death for Grayson Murray is not yet clear.
On April 14, Murray wrote on Instagram, “What an incredible week with all my family and friends at my first Masters.”
On January 15, he wrote, “What an incredible week. This couldn’t be possible without the support of my family, caddie, coaches, and my sponsors.”
In 2020, he shared a screenshot of him on television and wrote, “No Carolina wasn’t one of the 3 schools I went to but It would have definitely been my 4th. Mom, I’m famous now.”
Grayson Murray Leaves Behind a Fiancee
Grayson Murray’s fianceé, Christiana, shows the group how it’s done. #themasters
According to NBC Sports, Murray “was engaged to be married to Christiana Ritchie, whom he met in 2021.”
“I wouldn’t trade anything,” Murray said, according to NBC Sports.
“I have a beautiful fiancée. I have beautiful parents. I have beautiful nephews, siblings. Everyone in my life right now who is close to me, who has been through the struggles with me, it’s all a team effort. I think this is just the start of something really special.”
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Grayson Murray’s Dad Spoke Candidly About His Son’s Depression Before Pro Golfer’s Death