Getty Grayson Murray and Peter Malnati.
Pro golfer Peter Malnati, who spent two days playing golf with Grayson Murray shorly before Murray’s death at age 30, broke into tears while discussing Murray’s passing on television.
“It’s just so sad,” Malnati said, as he broke down crying in an interview with CBS Sports on May 25. You can watch video of the moment later in this story.
In a May 26 statement, Murray’s parents, Eric and Terry Murray, revealed his cause of death, saying that he took his own life. “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.”
The PGA Tour announced in a statement that Murray had died on May 25. TMZ reported that Murray had pulled out of a Texas tournament in the second round the day before, citing an illness that was not specified. The golfer also struggled openly with mental health issues, including depression and anxiety.
Peter Malnati Said He Spent the Last 2 Days With Grayson Murray
Peter Malnati played with Grayson Murray during the first two rounds this week. Visibly shaken, this is heartbreaking to watch as Amanda Balionis is emotional, too. @flushingitgolf
Malnati started crying while speaking about how sad Murray’s death is, especially because Murray seemed to overcome struggles he had throughout his life. Murray, 30, and his father had been open about the golfer’s battles with depression and anxiety, and, in July 2023, he announced on Instagram that he had stopped drinking alcohol. He was also engaged to be married, and he “won his second PGA TOUR title at this year’s Sony Open in Hawaii,” according to a press release from the PGA Tour.
“Um, you know, it’s going to be really hard,” Malnati said in the CBS Sports interview. “I didn’t know Grayson all that well, but I spent the last two days with him. And it’s so funny we get so worked up out here about, you know, a bad break here; a good break there.”
At that point in the interview, he visibly broke down into tears.
“We’re so competitive. It’s so competitive out here. We all want to beat each other,” Malnati said. “And then something like this happens. You realize, we’re all just humans and this is a really, really – it’s a really hard day. You look at Grayson, and you see someone who has physically outwardly struggled in the past, and he’s been open about it, and he seemed to kind of get his life back to a place where he’s feeling good about things; it’s just so sad.”
Other Professional Golfers Expressed Sadness Over Grayson Murray’s Sudden Death
GettyGrayson Murray.
Pro Golfer and Masters champion Bubba Watson wrote on X, “Very sad to hear the news of Grayson Murray’s passing today. 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.”
He added, “My deepest condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time. He will be missed.”
Golfer Luke Donald wrote, “Truly devastating news that Grayson Murray has passed away. He asked me for some advice on how to play Augusta a few months ago, last week I saw him at the PGA Championship, life truly is precious. My condolences and prayers to his whole family that they may find some peace 💔”