Grayson Murray, a two-time PGA Tour winner, passed away on Saturday, one day after withdrawing from the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas.
The 30-year-old American, who won his latest title at the Sony Open earlier this year, withdrew from the Charles Schwab tournament due to illness during the second round.
Murray claimed his first PGA Tour title in 2017 and achieved a career-high ranking of 46th in the world following his victory at the Sony Open.
“We were devastated to learn – and are heartbroken to share – that PGA Tour player Grayson Murray passed away this morning. I am at a loss for words,” PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said in a statement.
“The PGA Tour is a family, and when you lose a member of your family, you are never the same,” the statement added.
The PGA did not provide details regarding the cause of his death. Monahan stated that the decision to proceed with the tournament was made after discussions with Murray’s family.
American golfer Webb Simpson revealed that he learned about Murray’s passing only 10 minutes before starting his round on Saturday at the Colonial Country Club.
“I first met Grayson at my home club when Grayson was probably eight years old, maybe nine,” he told reporters.
“When you hear news like that over the phone you don’t think it’s real at first, and you know, you hear the emotion coming from our swing coach and then you realize it’s real.”
