The news of Grayson Murray’s death on Saturday came as a huge shock to his PGA Tour comrades.
“It’s a big shock. My heart just sank,” Webb Simpson told reporters at the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas. Murray, 30, withdrew in the second round on Friday because of illness.
Murray and Simpson have known each other for more than 20 years. Simpson said they first met when Murray was 8 or 9 years old and Murray was the first winner of the Webb Simpson Challenge, a junior tournament started by Simpson 14 years ago.
“When you get a phone call and you get news like that, at first it doesn’t seem real,” Simpson said.
Murray has been open about his struggles with depression and alcohol early in his career, and said in January he had been eight months sober.
“Life isn’t easy. I think Grayson would be the first to put his hand up and say it’s not easy,” Simpson said.
Murray won the Sony Open in January and is ranked 58th in the world.
“My story isn’t over yet. I feel like it’s just beginning,” Murray said in Hawaii after winning the Sony Open. “Hopefully I can inspire a lot of people who are going through their own challenges.”
Peter Malnati, who played against Murray in the first two rounds of the Charles Schwab Challenge, fought back tears during an interview with CBS’ Amanda Balionis on Saturday.
“We’re so competitive here, we all want to beat each other, and then when something like this happens, you realize we’re all just human,” Malnati said. “It was a really tough day.”
