World No. 1 Scotty Scheffler paid tribute to Grayson Murray after the two-time PGA Tour winner’s shock death a day after Charles Schwab pulled out of the challenge in Texas.
The 30-year-old had two holes remaining in Friday’s second round, with illness and His death was announced PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said Murray’s parents asked him to continue after speaking to them about the event in Fort Worth.
Scheffler, who moved into second place at 14-under after a third-round 66, said: “Obviously, the news hasn’t sunk in yet, but I’m thinking about his family and praying hard for everyone.
“I can’t imagine what a difficult time this has been. I’ve gotten to know Grayson very well over the last six months.
“There’s no way to put into words how sad and tragic this is, but I’m thinking of his family.”
In January, Murray – after his last win at the Sony Open in Hawaii – spoke about his battles with anxiety and depression, revealing that he had been in treatment for alcoholism for the past few years but had been sober for months.
Three years ago he posted on social media that he felt the Tour didn’t do enough for players who dealt with illnesses like his.
“When Grayson said that, I called him right away,” Monahan said Saturday. “I spent a lot of time with him over the years because I wanted to understand what we could do to help everyone else here.
“I’m devastated by Grayson’s loss. I’ve learned a lot from the conversations I’ve had with him, especially this past year. He’s been very open and honest with me.
“We don’t know the circumstances surrounding Grayson’s passing. My conversations with Grayson in the mental health area … we’re always challenging ourselves to make sure we’re at the forefront of providing the best support we can to everyone here.
“These are the best athletes in the world. They think they are invincible in many respects.
“One of the things I think back to about Grayson’s openness is that he taught us a lesson on that front that I’ll never forget.”
