A Life Lost Too Soon

If you are not a follower of sports, you may have missed the news that PGA Tour golfer, Grayson Murray, died Saturday at the age of 30. A young, healthy, professional athlete passing away so young was definitely a shock. He had played in a tournament on Friday and had withdrawn with 2 holes left in his round because of an illness. His family announced Sunday morning that he had taken his own life.

It’s hard to fathom how someone with so much going for him-a supportive family and fiancee, and a successful career with 2 wins already on the PGA Tour-would be at the point of ending his life. Some research shows that Murray had battled anxiety, depression, and alcohol abuse throughout his career. After winning a tournament earlier in the year, he said he had been sober since 2023 but that every day was a battle with the demons he faced.

Fellow golfer Peter Malnoti played with Murray on Thursday and Friday and gave a heartbreaking interview after his round on Saturday. He said, “It’s funny, we get so worked up out here about a bad break here or a good break there. We’re so competitive out here. We all want to beat each other. Then something like this happens, and you realize, we’re all just humans.” It doesn’t appear that Malnati saw any clear signs of distress but how difficult this must all be for him and wondering if he could have done something to help.

As someone who has been involved in competitive sports his whole life, Malnati’s sentiments ring so true. We get so caught up in winning and losing that sometimes we forget that everyone we compete against is having the same ups and downs as we are, and that we should always be supportive and understanding of those we are competing against. Murray was known for having a very volatile personality and took a lot of heat on social media because of it. We should always be slow to react to situations until we truly know what is going on.

This story is also another sobering reminder that we often times don’t know the struggles others are going through and how vital it is to be checking in with people, paying attention to signs of distress, to listen with the intent to understand, and to take those times seriously. Let people know you care and are concerned. Your reaching out and showing your concern and love could mean all the difference in the world.

I know personally I have had some times in the past few years where my mental health was not in the best place and I have been fortunate to have some friends and family checking in occasionally to make sure everything is ok. Any time someone reached out, it ALWAYS had a positive impact and it is one concern about my retirement is continuing to have those connections with people and having people checking in. I have been very conscientious the last year or so about checking in and following up with more people as we truly don’t know how people are doing, especially when we get so busy with our own lives. If in doubt, make the call, send the text or email!

Probably my all time favorite comedian, Robin Williams, (who sadly took his own life), once said, “Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always.” When thinking about Grayson Murray today and what we can learn from this sad story, Robin’s advice hits home. Let’s all work harder to take care of our own mental health as well as that of those around us and also work on how we treat those people we meet every day. It would make the world a better place for everyone. Have a safe rest of the Memorial Day weekend and a great week ahead!

Coach K