Following the news that two-time PGA Tour winner, Grayson Murray, unexpectedly died at the age of 30, fellow golfer Peter Malnati emotionally spoke out about the news.
While speaking to CBS Sports about the tragic situation, Malnati said he didn’t know Murray that well but had spent some time with him days before his death. They played together over the first two rounds at the Charles Schwab Challenge, which was hosted by Colonial Country Club.
“It’s funny, we get so worked up out here about a bad break here or a good break there,” Peter Malnati said about Grayson Murray. “We’re so competitive. We’re so competitive out here. We all want to beat each other. Then something like this happens, and you realize, ‘We’re all just humans.’”
Continuing to speak about Murray’s impact on the professional golf world, Malnati said, “It’s a really hard day because you look at Grayson and you see someone who has visibly, outwardly struggled in the past, and he’s been open about it.”
“And you see him get his life back to a place where he’s feeling good about things. It’s just so sad. I was with him yesterday. He’s playing great! His game is so good! He’s so good at golf.”
Peter Malnati further pointed out that Wake Forest coach, Jerry Haas, had raved about Grayson Murray to him. “It’s a huge loss for all of us on the PGA Tour, it’s a huge loss for our fans,” Malnati added.
“In a time like this you realize that as much as we want to beat each other and as much as we want to be competitive, we’re one big family. And we lost one today, and that’s terrible.”
Along With Peter Malnati, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan Speaks Out About Grayson Murray
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan also spoke to CBS Sports about the shocking news about Grayson Murray’s death.
“There’s a brotherhood out here,” Monahan stated. “There’s a family out here. And I just wanted to be here for our players, our caddies, our families that are here.”
“This is a close-knit community out on the PGA Tour, and to be in the locker room and to see the devastation on the faces of every player that’s coming in is really difficult to see and really just profound.”
Describing Grayson Murray as a remarkable player, Monahan also said the professional golfer was a “courageous person” for how he worked to improve his life. Murray had been battling anxiety, depression, and alcohol abuse before he died.