PGA Tour Player Grayson Murray, Winner Of This Year’s Sony Open In Hawaii, Passes Away Suddenly At 30

Tragic news rocked the world of professional golf on Saturday as reigning Sony Open in Hawaii champion Grayson Murray died at only 30 years old. Barstool Sports' Dan Rapaport initially reported the news, citing an email he received from another PGA Tour player. https://twitter.com/Daniel_Rapaport/status/1794443875169534341 Murray opened this week's Charles Schwab Challenge with a 2-under round of 68. He struggled through the second round and was forced to withdraw from the tournament due to an unspecified illness. No precise details about the cause of death have been reported at this time, but obviously this comes as a shock — especially given the encouraging trajectory Murray was on of late on and off the course. In a lengthy Golf Monthly feature that came out in January, Murray opened up about his struggles with alcoholism, anxiety, and depression. He claimed his first PGA Tour title at the Barbasol Championship back in 2017 as a rookie. However, Murray indicated that he would drink during tournament weeks, and said he felt "invincible" as a result of achieving instant success at golf's highest level. The aforementioned triumph in Hawaii vaulted Murray to 46th in the Official World Golf Ranking. He'd made up a ton of ground leading up to that, having dropped to 648th in early 2023. The PGA Tour and many others in the greater pro golf community sent their condolences to Murray's loved ones in the wake of his passing, including CBS golf commentators Jim Nantz and Trevor Immelman. https://twitter.com/AlexMyers3/status/1794444244960059813 https://twitter.com/Sctvman/status/1794445996430160267 https://twitter.com/ToddLewisGC/status/1794446019561726355 https://twitter.com/KylePorterCBS/status/1794445868579311766 https://twitter.com/AdamSchupak/status/1794445686622290078 As Nantz indicated on the telecast, and per the PGA Tour's statement, Murray's family wished for the tournament to continue on after the PGA Tour raised the possibility of stopping play. It had to be such a tough judgment call for everyone involved. It'll be hard to focus on golf from here on out at this event. Sending positive energy and thoughts to Murray's loved ones at this unfathomably difficult time.