Almost one year after the tragic passing of their son due to suicide, the parents of former PGA Tour golfer Grayson Murray are speaking out after the ‘nightmare that doesn’t stop.’
Speaking with Carson Daly on ‘The Today Show’, Terry and Eric Murray delved into Grayson’s prolonged mental health battles, what made him special, and the mission of the foundation they established in his name.
It was last May when Murray was found in his Florida home a day after withdrawing from the Charles Schwab Challenge in Texas.
That withdrawal came just a few months after winning the 2024 Sony Open in Hawaii and after he had competed in his first ever Masters tournament.
Throughout his career, Murray had been open about his mental health struggles and his stint in rehab in 2021 for alcohol.
‘He tried to get better,’ Eric Murray told Today. ‘He did everything he could.’
The parents of Grayson Murray have opened up almost a year after their son’s suicide
The sudden death of Grayson Murray (pictured with fiancée Christiana) shocked the golf world
Alcohol wasn’t his only vice. One of the unhealthy ways he coped with the isolation of being a professional golfer was gambling. Murray estimated that he lost over $400,000 in 2017 alone.
‘He would go and drink and gamble — that was tough for him out on the road,’ Terry Murray said.
‘We’re not saying anything that Grayson hasn’t said,’ Eric Murray said. ‘He’s told this story, and in our eyes he’s a hero for telling it.’
After winning the Sony Open, Murray spoke about the difficulties he faced throughout his career.
‘I wanted to give up a lot of times,’ he said after the victory. ‘Give up on myself, give up on the game of golf, give up on life at times. Just persevere.’
But after that victory, things took a darker turn.
‘It was hard,’ Terry Murray said of the ups-and-downs Grayson experienced in his career.
‘He would put on a happy face out on the road. Our house became his safe haven. If he was depressed, he would go in his room, and he wouldn’t come out for two and three days.’
Murray had been open and honest about his mental health and addiction struggles in his life
Murray’s parents say that he had been working on getting better despite his anxiety
But Murray’s mood appeared to take a turn after winning the Sony Open last January
‘He could get in those deep tunnels or dark holes,’ his father said.
His parents revealed that during one visit, Grayson broke down crying.
‘We sat on the sofa, and we both just sat there and cried,’ Eric Murray said. ‘And I was holding him like a baby. He was talking about how hard it was physically and emotionally to keep doing what he’s doing.’
Grayson’s father even suggested that he should step away from the PGA Tour in order to focus on his health.
‘I actually asked him to do that,’ he said. ‘But Grayson loved golf, and there’s no place on Earth that he was happier than on the golf course. But at the same time, it was very difficult.’
Anxiety and depression had followed Murray as he started to take the sport more seriously. After first hitting a golf ball at age seven, Murray built up a good reputation during his junior playing days.
He became the second player in history to win the Junior World tournament three times – joining Tiger Woods.
But he was suffering an internal battle. During the 2014 Southern Amateur, Murray suffered a mental health episode – prompting him to leave the course. He was eventually diagnosed with social anxiety.
Murray kisses his fiancée, Christiana Ritchie, at the Par 3 Contest at the Masters in 2024
Murray was diagnosed with social anxiety as a teen and a concussion compounded his issues
Then, while playing college golf at Arizona State, Murray suffered a concussion after falling off his bike.
‘He had been diagnosed with social anxiety, and then he had a concussion on top of that,’ Eric Murray said. ‘So Grayson had some issues that were lingering on and on, and that’s when he turned pro.’
Despite his self-destructive tendencies, Murray’s parents recall their son’s heart of gold.
‘He was a joy to be around,’ Terry Murray said. ‘He was always up to something, making us laugh.’
In the aftermath of his death, messages began flooding in from strangers and fellow golfers about Grayson and acts of kindness he’d done for them.
Per Golf Digest, Murray was also known for sending uplifting messages to players who were struggling.
‘Some of the comments were, ‘Grayson was fiercely loyal, yet tremendously kind,” his mother said.
‘And then from some of the players, “He did some things for me that most other golfers on the tour would not even consider.”‘
His parents founded the Grayson Murray Foundation, completing a plan the golfer intended
After his passing, his parents discovered a journal Grayson kept – in which, he wrote about his desire to help others struggling with their mental health.
He had hoped to start it in his own name. ‘He actually wrote a plan,’ his mother revealed.
And so, the Grayson Murray Foundation came to be. The mission of the charity is to create awareness and support around mental health and addiction.
‘I think he would be proud that we’re trying to carry on what he just didn’t have time himself to follow through with,’ Terry said.
Back in January, both Eric and Terry traveled to Hawaii to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Grayson’s Sony Open win.
They were joined in a celebration of life ceremony by a number of PGA Tour players.
‘He was a kind, generous person,’ his father said at the event. ‘He would help anybody in need, so we hope people remember him that way, and we hope the foundation will carry his legacy on.’
For support call Samaritans on 116123 in the UK or visit www.samaritans.org or www.thecalmzone.net/get-support, or call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline on 988 in the US.
