Grayson Murray dies at age 30 a day after withdrawing from Colonial, PGA Tour says

Two-time PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray died Saturday morning at age 30, one day after he withdrew from the Charles Schwab Cup Challenge at Colonial.

There were no immediate details on the circumstances of his death, only shock and grief from the PGA Tour and his management team.

“I am at a loss for words,” PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said. “The PGA Tour is a family, and when you lose a member of your family, you are never the same. We mourn Grayson and pray for comfort for his loved ones.”

His management company, GSE Worldwide, confirmed the death and said it was heartbroken.

“We will hold off on commenting until we learn further details, but our heart aches for his family, his friends and all who loved him during this very difficult time,” GSE said in a statement.

Monahan said he spoke with Murray's parents to offer condolences, and they asked that the tournament in Fort Worth, Texas, continue.

He said grief counselors would be on site at the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour event in Knoxville, Tennessee. Monahan headed to Texas and later appeared on CBS as the third round was ending.

“To see the devastation on the faces of every player coming in is really difficult to see and really just profound,” Monahan said. “Grayson was a remarkable player, but he was a very courageous man. I've always loved that about him.”

Murray, who had dealt with alcohol and mental health issues in the past, made a massive turnaround this year and won the Sony Open, hitting wedge to 3 feet for birdie on the final hole to get into a playoff and winning it with a 40-foot putt.

He also won the Barbasol Championship in 2017.

“It was a huge shock. My heart sank,” said Webb Simpson, who learned of Murray's death shortly before teeing off at Colonial. He said Murray was the first winner of his junior tournament and they shared the same swing coach as juniors.

“I just hate it so much,” Simpson said. “I'm going to miss him. I'm thankful he was in the place with his faith before this morning happened.”

Murray was No. 58 in the world rankings coming off a tie for 43rd in the PGA Championship last week at Valhalla. He also made the cut in his Masters debut, finishing 51st, and was in the field for the U.S. Open next month at Pinehurst No. 2.

Murray, who grew up in North Carolina, was among the most talented juniors in the country. He won the prestigious Junior World Championship in San Diego three straight years and earned the Arnold Palmer Scholarship at Wake Forest.

He wound up going to three colleges, lastly at Arizona State, and won as a 22-year-old PGA Tour rookie at the Barbasol Championship.

Murray said in January that he had been sober for eight months, was engaged to be married, had become a Christian and felt his best golf was ahead of him. He was appointed to the 16-member Player Advisory Council.

“My story is not finished. I think it’s just beginning,” Murray said in Hawaii. “I hope I can inspire a lot of people going forward that have their own issues.”

Murray said he used to drink during tournament weeks as a rookie because he knew he had talent and felt he was invincible. He also brought attention to himself through social media, openly criticizing other players and getting into one social media spat with Kevin Na over Na's reputation as a slow player.

But he felt like he turned the corner when he sought help — letting others fight for him, is how he explained it this year.

“It took me a long time to get to this point,” Murray said in January. “That was seven years ago, over seven years ago. I’m a different man now. I would not be in this position right now today if I didn’t put that drink down eight months ago.”

Peter Malnati played with Murray at Colonial. He offered to go on the CBS telecast Saturday afternoon and immediately broke down trying to talk about him.

“It's a huge loss for all of us on the PGA Tour,” Malnati said. “As much as we want to beat each other, we’re one big family, and we lost one today. It's terrible.”

This story has been corrected to show that Murray won the Barbasol Championship in 2017, not last year.

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FILE -Grayson Murray watches his tee shot on the third hole during the final round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Quail Hollow Club Sunday, Aug. 13, 2017, in Charlotte, N.C. Two-time PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray died Saturday morning, May 25, 2024 at age 30, one day after he withdrew from the Charles Schwab Cup Challenge at Colonial.(AP Photo/Chuck Burton, File)

FILE -Grayson Murray celebrates winning the Sony Open golf event, Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024, at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu. Two-time PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray died Saturday morning, May 25, 2024 at age 30, one day after he withdrew from the Charles Schwab Cup Challenge at Colonial. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)

FILE -Grayson Murray hits off the 18th tee during the first round of the PGA Zurich Classic golf tournament at TPC Louisiana in Avondale, La., Thursday, April 20, 2023. Two-time PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray died Saturday morning, May 25, 2024 at age 30, one day after he withdrew from the Charles Schwab Cup Challenge at Colonial. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)

FILE -Grayson Murray holds the trophy after winning the Sony Open golf event, Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024, at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu. Two-time PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray died Saturday morning, May 25, 2024 at age 30, one day after he withdrew from the Charles Schwab Cup Challenge at Colonial(AP Photo/Matt York, File)

Grayson Murray hits from the fairway on the 10th hole during the first round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Valhalla Golf Club, Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Matt York)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden's reelection campaign said Monday it will spend $50 million through the end of June on a new ad campaign that includes efforts to spotlight Republican Donald Trump's felony conviction.

The costly advertising push comes with Election Day still more than four and a half months away. But Biden's campaign says it wants to more clearly define the choice between the two candidates ahead of the first debate between them in Atlanta on June 27.

A central part of Biden's campaign strategy is highlighting Trump's far-reaching policy proposals for a second term and firing up disaffected Democrats and independent voters. The campaign producing an ad that leans heavily into Trump’s conviction, and including it in such a large advertising buy, indicates a renewed effort to make Trump’s legal problems an election issue in ways Biden’s team previously resisted.

The new ad campaign includes more than $1 million geared toward media reaching Black, Hispanic and Asian American voters, and an ad highlighting Trump's conviction on 34 felony counts in a New York hush money case. That spot will air on general market television and connected TV on streaming devices and cell phones in battleground states, as well as on national cable.

In addition to Trump's criminal conviction, the ad, titled “Character Matters,” notes the former president also was found liable for sexual assault and financial fraud in separate proceedings. Trump also faces felony charges in three separate criminal cases, none of which may go to trial before the November election.

“This election is between a convicted criminal who's only out for himself and a president who's fighting for your family,” intones the ad's narrator over images of a Trump mug shot and Biden high-fiving supporters.

The Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment Sunday night. But Trump has denied any wrongdoing and argued without evidence that Biden or Justice Department officials orchestrated the New York case against him for political reasons. He and his allies also have raised the prospect of prosecuting political opponents in revenge if he returns to the White House.

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at 180 Church, Saturday, June 15, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

From left, Maisy Biden, Naomi Biden, President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden walk to depart on Air Force One from Los Angeles International Airport, Sunday, June 16, 2024, in Los Angeles. Biden is returning to Washington after a campaign event. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Joe Biden is seated during a campaign event with former President Barack Obama moderated by Jimmy Kimmel at the Peacock Theater, Saturday, June 15, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)