Their son died of suicide. Now his parents can talk about Grayson Murray.
Life’s unexpected joys are almost worse, because they can bring more sadness, and lows, than the actual lows.
Those moments of happiness and delight are attached with guilt and sorrow. The sorrow that both Terry and Eric Murray believe they should feel all the time as they live without their son.
“It’s not some days,” Eric Murray said. “It’s every day.”
On May 24, 2024, Eric’s son, PGA Tour player Grayson Murray, withdrew from the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth after the second day of competition. On the back nine, he texted friends that he planned to fly to his home in North Carolina.
Sometime after he finished his round, he changed his flight to fly to Florida, where he had a condo. The Murray family was aware of this switch, which was the first sign something was off.
His parents went to sleep that night believing their son would soon be in Florida, and play a practice round that next day. In the early morning on May 25, Grayson died by suicide.
Since that time, his parents, family and friends, have done their best to live without staying in a moment that forever changed their lives. Part of that task is to be OK to enjoy the moment without feeling awful, and the need to feel sad.
“It’s a roller coaster that you replay every day, and every moment at night when you try to sleep,” Eric Murray said. “The foundation has kept us focused. He used to say, ‘If I can help one person that would be enough.’ So that’s where we are.”
Grayson Murray’s parents, Eric and Terry, spoke to the Star-Telegram recently in a phone interview about their new foundation, and the one-year anniversary that is coming.
Explaining Grayson Murray’s death
The Murrays are scheduled to be in Fort Worth for the days leading up to the start of the Charles Schwab Challenge, which begins Thursday, May 22.
“We’ve hit almost every milestone for the year. Mother’s Day was tough for me because last year I was with Grayson at the Wells Fargo Tournament in Charlotte,” she said. “It was one of the best Mother’s Days I had ever had with him. He treated me like a queen.
“It was a wonderful time, and little did I know that would be the last time I would see him alive. I got through that anniversary. ... It’s a struggle. For me, it’s not getting easier. It’s getting harder.”
Since their son died, his family has asked questions that have no definitive answer. They’ll never know why. Every answer is an estimation that may be right, but they’ll never know.
“We knew he had suffered with depression. Alcoholism at times,” Eric Murray said.
The depression, mental health and emotional fatigue were something that Grayson was open about, and talked to PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan about extensively. Murray wanted the Tour to do more, and provide more opportunities, for players.
“A friend of mine, who is a doctor, described it to us as you get in a dark, deep hole and no matter how much you try to pull yourself out you keep getting knocked down,” Eric Murray said. “We don’t know. We don’t know what was going on.”
On the surface, Grayson Murray had ‘The Life.’ He was 30. A pro athlete who made good money playing on the PGA Tour, where he won tournaments. People work hard to be Grayson Murray.
Grayson Murray tried to raise awareness that even ‘The Life’ has challenges. Anxiety. Fear. Fear of losing. Fear of winning. The pressure to maintain a quality of life not for just themselves but often a fleet of others who can become dependent on that one person’s performance.
“Most athletes, especially golfers, do not want to talk about this,” Eric Murray said. “The last thing a golfer wants to do is talk about their anxiety, depression.
“This is very prevalent in the golf world, and the reason we know it is because we are getting a lot of feedback from golfers that you would never expect to hear from; there is a lot of depression and anxiety. Athletes, entertainers, can be on top of the world this year, and be out completely the next year.”
Eric and Terry’s new mission
Murray’s mother and father said their son often said that during his career if he could reach a person, his willingness to be open and honest about his own struggles with mental health was worth it.
That was the point of origin to start the Grayson Murray Foundation. Since its creation it has become a focal point for the entire family, which includes Grayon’s sister, Erica, and brother, Cameron.
During Grayson’s life he envisioned starting a foundation to raise awareness about mental health. A lot of people want to do this sort of thing. His goal was more specific. He wanted to help those who want mental health care, but can’t afford it.
One under discussed reality to mental health care is that it can be expensive, and not all insurance plans cover the potential treatments.
The mission statement of the foundation reads, “To raise awareness of mental health and addiction challenges faced by individuals from all walks of life, while advancing innovative services and research.”
On Tuesday at Colonial, Murray’s mother, father and sister will formally make a $20,000 donation to the Ben Hogan foundation; Hogan’s father died of suicide when the future legend of golf was 9. The CS Challenge will make a $10,000 donation to the Grayson Murray Foundation.
And the tournament has printed thousands of “GM” pins available to patrons.
The Murrays are scheduled to return to North Carolina on Thursday where the one-year marker awaits to be endured, and life resumes.
Since they lost their son, brother and uncle, there have been good days. Happy moments. Joy.
But sometimes those are hard, too.
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please call the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the United States at 988 or visit their website at 988lifeline.org.
This story was originally published May 16, 2025 at 11:39 AM.
