Nobody in the golf community would have thought that they would see Grayson Murray grace the greens for the last time during the Friday round of the Charles Schwab Challenge. The two-time PGA champion withdrew from the event after playing 16 holes in the second round. The following morning, Murray passed away at the age of 30.

Murray had faced numerous challenges in his life but overcame them through sheer resilience. As the golf world mourns the death of Murray, let’s go down memory lane and remember three glorious moments from his life.

3. Grayson Murray says, ‘It’s okay not to be okay’

Grayson Murray made quite a name for himself as a junior golfer. The golfer started his PGA Tour journey with a bang! In 2017 he joined the PGA Tour and also bagged his first win the very same year at the 2017 Barbasol Championship. However, his professional career hit a slump as he struggled with mental health issues and alcoholism. He once said drinking was his “outlet” and that he felt invincible at times. Murray reached out for help and overcame his battle with alcoholism.

Talking about his mental health struggles, Murray, while playing on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2023, relayed that sometimes it’s hard to hide the battles and at times it comes easily. But regardless, he wanted to put out the mindset he had kept during those days. The 30-year-old said, “Our society is getting better about accepting that, It’s okay to not be okay type deal. And I’ve embraced that mentality.” 

Through his journey on and off the course, Murray wanted to inspire people and help anyone, even through a small reply to their message.

2. Murray’s second chance on the PGA Tour

After his maiden victory a winless spell, took over Murray’s career. Things took a turn for the worst in 2022 when the two-time PGA Tour winner met with an accident in 2022 while coming back from the Bermuda Championship. But he was resilient and despite the blockages, never stopped. His breakthrough moment came in 2023 at the Korn Ferry Tour. Murray had already won the AdventHealth Championship early and needed another win to get the PGA Tour membership for the 2024 season.

He did just that! The 30-year-old won the Simmon Bank Open after shooting 17 under 271. Murray had two acronyms pasted on his golf ball ‘W-I-N’ (what’s important now) and ‘S-O-P’ (succeed on purpose) and looking at them kept him at the moment. After being PGA Tour-bound again, Murray looked back at his journey in golf and said, “I turn 30 in less than a month and I just kind of had a hard talk to myself and realized that I’m getting a second chance.“ He felt at that time, “I feel like I have a lot of good golf ahead of me.”

1. Grayson Murray’s redemption win at the Sony Open

Grayson Murray’s comeback on the PGA Tour was something out of a fairytale. In the opening event of the 2024 season, Murray hoped to continue the success he received on KFT. His hopes turned into reality as he won the Sony Open in Hawaii. That marked the end of six years of not winning on the PGA Tour. He did that after winning the playoff in Honolulu and lifted the golden trophy.

After his victory, Murray recalled the time he wanted to give up on life and golf. But he persevered and tasted the fruit of his patience. Though it was not easy, Murray had come far from his past self. Having the best of his time, the 30-year-old talked about this new beginning and said, “My story is not finished. I think it’s just beginning. I hope I can inspire a lot of people going forward that have their own issues.” 

Grayson Murray’s story will surely be his legacy and one that will inspire people for decades to come. Rest in peace.