Photo of 17-year-old Grayson Murray at the 2010 Thunderbirds with Jordan Spieth resurfaces after his shocking death: ‘Two confident kids who dreamed of making it to the PGA Tour’
A picture of Grayson Murray and Jordan Spieth as teenagers resurfaced after the former’s shocking death on Saturday. Murray’s passing – aged 30 – was announced by the PGA Tour on Saturday afternoon, 24 hours after he withdrew towards the end of his second round at the Charles Schwab Challenge in Texas.
Commissioner Jay Monahan said he was left ‘lost for words’ when he broke the news of Murray’s death on Saturday. Murray’s parents, Eric and Terry, confirmed in a statement Sunday that their son had died by suicide.
The snap by photographer Todd Bigelow tugged on heartstrings on social media shortly after Murray’s death was made public.
Walked nine with 17-year-old Grayson Murray and 16-year-old Jordan Spieth at the 2010 Thunderbirds. So much fun. @ToddBigPhoto captured this photo of two confident kids who dreamed of making it to the PGA Tour. Remains one of my favorite photos and now always will. RIP Grayson. pic.twitter.com/dcyawqSVL6
— Damon Hack (@damonhackGC) May 25, 2024
‘Walked nine with 17-year-old Grayson Murray and 16-year-old Jordan Spieth at the 2010 Thunderbirds,’ NBC’s Damon Hack captioned the picture.
‘So much fun. @ToddBigPhoto captured this photo of two confident kids who dreamed of making it to the PGA Tour. Remains one of my favorite photos and now always will. RIP Grayson.’
The picture shows Murray handing Spieth a $1 bill on the golf course, appearing to have lost a friendly bet.
‘We were devastated to learn – and are heartbroken to share – that PGA Tour player Grayson Murray passed away this morning,’ PGA tour commissioner Jay Monahan said of the world No. 58.
‘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.’
Murray was a two-time winner on the PGA Tour after winning the Barbasol Championship in 2017 and the Sony Open in Hawaii in January.
On the other hand, Spieth collected 13 wins in the PGA Tour, which included the 2015 Masters Tournament and US Open.
Upon withdrawing on Friday, Murray informed his playing partners that he was feeling unwell.
After winning his second PGA title at the Sony Open, the North Carolina native gave a now-poignant interview about hard times away from the course.
‘My rookie year was 2017 – I was young and thought I was invincible and wasn’t doing the correct stuff off the course to really give myself the best chance to succeed out here,’ he said.
‘Over the years, I’ve given in a few times and then right when I try to give up, someone gives me a little bit more inspiration, saying: “Hey you got it, you can do it”
‘Those are just the people that are close to me that I really lean on in hard times and I just have to keep pushing through. That’s the only way I know how.’
Murray’s caddie, Jay Green, also offered his thoughts on the eight-year pro and showered the late golfer with praise.
‘Grayson was the absolute best. Not only was he an incredible, thoughtful, and generous boss, he was an even better friend.
‘He truly would do anything for anyone. He has the best family, and my heart goes out to them. We will all miss him deeply.’
