Davis Riley pays tribute to tragic golfer Grayson Murray after winning

Davis Riley used his winner’s speech at the Charles Schwab Challenge to pay tribute to tragic PGA Tour star Grayson Murray, on a ‘super sad day in the golf world.’

Murray was competing in the same event, playing on Thursday and Friday, before tragically ending his own life on Saturday morning, as confirmed by his parents in a heart-wrenching statement.

Riley went on to win the event in Texas – his first victory on the PGA Tour – and he used his time with the microphone to pay tribute to Murray on an emotional day. 

‘A super sad day in the golf world but my heart just goes out to him and his family,’ Riley told the TV cameras. ‘There was definitely a little extra to play for today.

‘A sad day, and I have a heavy heart for his family.’

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It was also an emotional week on a personal level for Riley, 27, who found out shortly before the tournament that his older sister had had a seizure at work, which led to the discovery of a tumor on her brain and surgery the next day.

Riley wasn’t even sure then that he would be able to, or even want to, play in the Charles Schwab Challenge.

‘When you have somebody that close to you, all the worst-case scenarios are going through your head,’ Riley said. ‘It was certainly a scary feeling thinking about how you could lose your sister.’

The family got a huge sigh of relief when the surgery was successful and the tumor was non-cancerous. His parents told him that his sister wanted him to go play.

So Riley did, and got his first individual victory on the PGA Tour after playing in the final group Sunday with Scottie Scheffler. Riley shot even-par 70 to finish at 14-under 266, five strokes ahead of the world’s No. 1 player and Keegan Bradley.

The final round was played on the day that Grayson Murray’s parents said their 30-year-old son took his own life Saturday, a day after the two-time tour winner had cited illness when withdrawing from the event with two holes left in his second round. The family had insisted to PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan for play to continue.

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‘We have spent the last 24 hours trying to come to terms with the fact that our son is gone,’ the statement read. ‘It’s surreal that we not only have to admit it to ourselves, but that we also have to acknowledge it to the world. It’s a nightmare.

‘We have so many questions that have no answers. But one. Was Grayson loved? The answer is yes. By us, his brother Cameron, his sister Erica, all of his extended family, by his friends, by his fellow players and – it seems – by many of you who are reading this. 

‘We would like to thank the PGA Tour and the entire world of golf for the outpouring of support. Life wasn’t always easy for Grayson, and although he took his own life, we know he rests peacefully now.’ 

His playing partner earlier in the week, Peter Malnati, broke down in tears during an interview with CBS, saying: ‘I didn’t even know Grayson all that well, but I spent the last two days with him. We get so worked up out here about a bad break or a good break. We’re so competitive out here and you want to beat each other — and then something like this happens and you realise we’re all just humans. 

‘It’s just a really hard day because you look at Grayson and you see in him someone who has visibly, outwardly struggled in the past and he’s been open about it. And you see him get his life back to a place where he’s feeling good about things.

‘Just to know that he’s not going to be doing that anymore, I think it’s a huge loss for all of us on the PGA Tour. It’s a huge loss. We lost one and that’s terrible.’

Murray, who had been a junior prodigy and was ranked 58th in the world at the time of his death, had claimed his second Tour victory earlier this year. That he had done so having wrestled severe mental health difficulties made him a figure of admiration on the circuit.

Justin Rose said: ‘I had the opportunity to spend a few rounds of golf alongside Grayson in recent weeks at Hilton Head, Quail Hollow and Valhalla. I will always remember that and use it to remind myself that you never know what challenges people have going on in their lives and how they may be internalising things. RIP Grayson and love and strength to your family and friends.’

European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald posted on X: ‘Truly devastating news that Grayson Murray has passed away. He asked me for some advice on how to play Augusta a few months ago, last week I saw him at the PGA Championship, life truly is precious.

‘My condolences and prayers to his whole family that they may find some peace.’

World No 1 Scottie Scheffler, who is playing in Texas, said: ‘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.’