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The parents of pro golfer Grayson Murray confirmed his cause of death in a Sunday statement, where they shared that their son had died by suicide.
“We have spent the last 24 hours trying to come to terms with the fact that our son is gone,” Eric and Terry Murray wrote in a statement published through the PGA Tour.
“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.”
Murray, a two-time PGA Tour winner, was discovered dead on Saturday at age 30, just a day after unexpectedly withdrawing from the second round of the Charles Schwab Challenge golf tournament in Fort Worth, Texas.
The Murrays’ statement went on to say, “We have so many questions that have no answers. But one. 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.”
Murray’s parents then thanked the PGA Tour and “the entire world of golf for the outpouring of support,” adding, “Life wasn’t always easy for Grayson, and although he took his own life, we know he rests peacefully now.”
Asking for privacy as they mourn “this incredible tragedy,” Murray’s parents told fans of his “honor Grayson by being kind to one another.”
“If that becomes his legacy, we could ask for nothing else,” the statement concluded.
Murray reportedly faced challenges with alcohol use, anxiety and depression during his life but had been thriving on the course in recent months, nailing a win at the Sony Open in Hawaii earlier this year.
After snagging his trophy in January, he told reporters he had been sober since early 2023.
“It took me a long time to get to this point,” he said, per ESPN. “I’m a different man now. I would not be in this position right now today if I didn’t put that drink down eight months ago.”
On Saturday, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan wrote that Murray’s death had left him “at a loss for words.”
“The PGA Tour is a family, and when you lose a member of your family, you are never the same,” Monahan said in a statement. “We mourn Grayson and pray for comfort for his loved ones.”
If you or someone you know needs help, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org for mental health support. Additionally, you can find local mental health and crisis resources at dontcallthepolice.com. Outside of the U.S., please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention.