‘I wish there was something I could have done’ – Devastated Rickie Fowler leads tributes after death of Grayson Murray
Leading golfers including Rickie Fowler have been paying tribute after the tragic death of Grayson Murray.
The 30-year-old’s passing was announced on Saturday by PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan at the Charles Schwab Challenge.
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Murray’s passing left colleagues, like Fowler (left), devastatedCredit: GettyMurray had withdrawn with two holes remaining of Friday’s second round because of illness.
In January, Murray won the Sony Open in Hawaii.
But after the victory he bravely spoke about his battles with anxiety and depression.
He also revealed he had sought treatment in the past few years for alcohol abuse but had been sober for several months.
read more on golfFowler said: “I’m at a loss for words…just complete shock!
“We played some practice rounds together this year and got paired together at multiple tournaments…we shared a lot of good times!
“My thoughts and prayers to your family and close friends…I wish there was something I could have done! I’m going to miss you man!”
Speaking after his round on Saturday, Scottie Scheffler said: “Obviously, the news hasn’t really sunk in quite yet, but I’m thinking about his family and praying hard for all of them.
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Murray won his last tour event in January in HawaiiCredit: Getty”I can’t imagine how difficult of a time this is. I got to know Grayson a bit better over the last six months or so.
“There’s not really a way to put into words how sad and tragic it is, but I’m thinking about his family.”
Previously, Murray had posted on social media that he felt the Tour did not do enough to assist players who dealt with illnesses such as his.
And Monahan explained that his proclamation had helped to change the Tour’s support of players.
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The final round of the Charles Schwab challenge will still go ahead despite the tragic newsCredit: Getty”When Grayson said that, I called him right away,” Monahan said on Saturday.
“Over the last several years I spent a lot of time with him because I wanted to understand what we could do, in his opinion, to help everybody else out here.
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“I’m devastated by Grayson’s loss. The conversations I had with him, particularly the last year, I learned an awful lot from him. He was very open and transparent with me.
“We don’t know the circumstances around Grayson’s passing. My conversations with Grayson in the area of mental health… we’re always challenging ourselves to make certain that we’re on the front edge of being able to provide the support that we can for everybody out here.
Read More on talkSPORT”These are some of the best athletes in the world. They think they’re, in many respects, invincible.
“One of the things I think back about Grayson’s openness is he taught us all a lesson on that front and that’s something I’ll never forget.”
