Grayson Murray death shows golfers can be ‘vulnerable and fragile’, says McIlroy

1 year ago

Rory McIlroy believes the death of two-time PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray has highlighted how “vulnerable and fragile” golfers and other top athletes can be.

“It’s incredibly sad, first and foremost, and I think we’re all thinking of Grayson’s family and hoping that they’re doing OK and getting through this incredibly tough period,” McIlroy said before the first round of the RBC Canadian Open.

“Everyone has to remember out here that we go out and we do things that a lot of people can’t, but at the end of the day we’re still human beings,” McIlroy added. “We’re vulnerable and we’re fragile, and I think if there’s a lesson for anyone out there it’s just to be kinder to each other.”

Murray, who was 30 years old, was found dead inside a residence in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida around 11am on Saturday, according to local police. He had withdrawn from the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas last week with two holes remaining of Friday’s second round.

In a statement released on Sunday, Murray’s parents said he had taken his own life. The 30-year-old had been open about his battles with anxiety and depression and revealed in January that he had sought treatment in the past few years for alcohol abuse, but had been sober for several months.

McIlroy added: “It’s cliche, but it puts everything in perspective. At the end of the day golf is golf and, yeah, we play it for a living, but it pales in comparison to the things that actually matter in life.

“I’ve had to realise that at times and I’m still sort of working my way through that in terms of not making golf the be-all and end-all for me. I think it slaps you in the face when something like that happens last week.”

McIlroy was speaking before his opening round at the RBC Canadian Open, which is being held at the Hamilton Golf and Country Club for the first time since 2019. That year, McIlroy carded a closing 61 to lift the title – and he successfully defended the title in 2022 at St George’s, following the event’s two-year break due to Covid.

McIlroy finished ninth last year at Oakdlae, when Nick Taylor became the first Canadian to win their national Open since 1954, holing from 72 feet for eagle on the fourth play-off hole to deny Tommy Fleetwod his first PGA Tour title.

In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org.