HONOLULU – The sun shined brightly at 8 a.m. as members of the PGA Tour, caddies, staff and media gathered with the family of Grayson Murray behind the 16th green and 17th tee at Waialae Country Club for a Hawaiian blessing and ceremony to remember their fellow competitor, who was supposed to defend his title this week.
“Is the flag at half-mast for Grayson or (U.S. President) Jimmy Carter,” a player wondered.
A year ago, Murray pulled off a remarkable up and down, not far from the ceremony, at the par-3 17th, wedged to 3 feet at the last to join a playoff with Ben An and Keegan Bradley and pumped his fist when his 39-foot birdie putt dropped to won him the Sony Open in Hawaii. Four months later, Murray took his life during the week of the Charles Schwab Challenge after withdrawing from the event. He was 30.
“Bow your heads,” said Corbett Kalama, president of the Friends of Hawaii charity, who chanted a Hawaiian song in Grayson’s memory.
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan took off his loafers and let the waves lap over his feet on the beach as he tossed flowers into the water. Billy Horschel, Gary Woodland and Webb Simpson were among the Tour pros with a heavy heart, who took part in the ceremony that Simpson called “an outpouring of love.”
“That was a great turn out, wasn’t it?” said Simpson, who added he misses Grayson “a ton. “
Simpson first met Grayson when he was eight or nine and their mutual swing coach, Ted Kiegel, told him, “Hey, this kid is really good.”
Murray, who was born in Raleigh, N.C., kept improving. He won an individual and team state high school titles. He won the Callaway Junior Championships in San Diego three consecutive years, matching his idol, Tiger Woods. Woods sent Murray a letter on his 15th birthday congratulating him on his accomplishments. He won five times across the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour, and had spoken openly about his experiences with alcoholism, anxiety and depression prior to his passing. Jay Green, who was Grayson’s caddie during his victory, wore the Rolex watch his boss had given him to commemorate their victory in the Aloha State. He’s working for Will Gordon this week but a flood of emotions hit Green as he returned to the scene of his greatest moment alongside Grayson. Playing No. 18 in regulation, Murray had 80 yards to the hole and needed birdie.
“I told him, ‘Show me something here.’ He hits it to 3 feet and taps it in,” Green recalled. “We’re in scoring before the start of the playoff and I’m as nervous as can be and he comes out and says, ‘We’re winning this thing.’ That determination in his eyes and conviction in his voice, I’ll never forget. When he set his mind to something, he was going to do it.”
Time rolls on and most of us move on but for Murray’s parents, Eric and Terry, there have been countless dark days. Players lined up at the end of the ceremony and took turns giving each of Grayson’s parents a hug and paying respects again.
“I hope this morning his parents were able to feel the love the Tour as a family has for Grayson,” Simpson said.
“This morning was so emotional,” said Eric Murray. “I was so proud of Grayson when he won the Sony. There’s a lot of pain but also a lot of pride.”
Asked how he’d like his son to be remembered, Eric said, “for his generosity. He’d give his shirt off his back to help anyone. We’ve heard from so many people whose lives he touched.”
“Like buying a car for a family he met when he visited a children’s hospital during a tournament,” Terry said. “He’d never tell us the stories of his giving.”
Grayson had written notes about the type of foundation he envisioned creating to help others who suffered like him. His parents plan to carry on those efforts, with the Grayson Murray Foundation, whose mission is to raise awareness and support of mental health and addiction challenges faced by individuals from all walks of life. Eric Murray said the foundation is on the ground floor, just receiving its 501-C3 status last week.
“We’re going to keep his passion alive,” Eric said.
Grayson’s spirit was alive and well on Tuesday morning as out of darkness, the sun in the sky shined bright.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: 2025-sony-open-grayson-murray-celebration-of-life
