Grayson Murray was disclosing some of the most private and terrifying secrets of his adult life before he birdied the 18th par-5 hole twice on Sunday, once from 38 1/2 feet to win the Sony Open in Hawaii and secondly to shoot 67 and enter a playoff with Byeong Hun An and Keegan Bradley.
Murray was positioned on the practice green at The RSM Classic at Sea Island in November, while the authorities were getting ready to present Chris Kirk with the PGA TOUR Courage Award in the adjacent media room. The urge was to transform them into one and the same. Two gingers with beards. Two men sharing the same route.
“I know Kirk. I’ve discussed it with him. We used to pass the time by simply going to the pub and drinking, but that is plainly no longer the case.” Murray said.
Alcohol usage is both the “it” and the “that”.
Murray says he hasn’t touched a drink since a scary event at the Mexico Open at Vidanta late last April. This is his first PGA TOUR triumph since 2017, bringing him full circle after a time on the Korn Ferry Tour. To begin the new season, Kirk won The Sentry and has been clean since 2019.
Even while the general themes of their experiences are similar, each recovery journey is unique.
Murray, 30, was formerly regarded as one of the greatest players in the world for his age, having won three IMG Junior World titles in 2006, 2007 and 2008. At 16, he became the second youngest to reach the cut on the Korn Ferry Tour, and at 19, he participated in the 2013 U.S. Open at Merion.
In actuality, though, Murray briefly lost his identity as well.
He said that his month-long stay as an inpatient at Hazelden Betty Ford in Minnesota 2 years ago was the first time he really ought to have started sobriety.
“I was released from treatment and for a while I fared fairly well. You believe you can resume taking a couple, just like everyone else. It simply made me slip back down that slippery slope.” he said.
When he crashed his rented scooter into oncoming traffic at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship in the autumn of 2022, it should have been the second time he straightened up. Half of the 50 stitches he had were for his face.
“I ought to have passed away. Without my helmet, I most likely would not have survived. Even though I should have reached my lowest point, I had to push through. I continued to feel unstoppable.” he said.
At the Vidanta Mexico Open in April of last year, that air of invincibility was broken.
Murray, who won the 2017 Barbasol Championship, was still considered a champion. While on vacation from the Korn Ferry Tour, he shot a first-round 68 in Vallarta, Mexico. It would have made sense to fill up, get plenty of rest, and get ready for Round 2 with an early second-round tee time. However, that was not the case.
“I went out to the pool, played pool volleyball, and had too many drinks. The following day, I got up early and began drinking alcohol to get over my nervousness. And I went outside and fired around 80 shots. (He made 79 shots.) It was the worst feeling ever, an anxiety attack that lasted four days after which I went home. That was the last time I drank because I did not want to experience that ever again. Those four days, I would have rather been dead. I simply shut myself up in my room and kept it a secret from my folks. It wasn’t good. It was awful” he said.
Murray, relieved of his life and sick of feeling guilty, decided to kick his addiction permanently by using some of Betty Ford’s techniques. His play improved almost immediately, as he won the AdventHealth Championship back on the Korn Ferry Tour after missing the cut at the Byron Nelson.
“I’ve changed as a guy; it took me a long time to get here. If I hadn’t set that drink down 8 months ago, I wouldn’t be where I am now.” He proceeded, the Sony Open trophy safely in place.
But in a way, that was only the beginning. Because Murray had crippling fear that he had to face once he began to peel back the layers. His instructor in Raleigh, North Carolina, Ted Kiegiel, pushed him to visit Tony Blauer, a fear-management specialist with a focus on self-defense, in San Diego.
Murray went ahead and brought Kiegiel along.
“And we talked nonstop for two days. It was like being back in school, and it wore me out.” Murray said.
Results once more materialized rapidly, as Murray won his second title of 2023 in September at the Simmons Bank Open for the Snedeker Foundation. He was headed back to the TOUR.
Murray, who was tied for the lead after 54 holes with Bradley at the Sony Open, used two of Blauer’s most well-liked acronyms: “W-I-N” (What’s Important Now) and “S-O-P” (Succeed on Purpose). Christiana Ritchie, his fiancé, whom he met at The American Express in Palm Springs, California, three years ago, gave him encouragement. Since then, they have been on and off.
“Mostly when I was organizing my belongings. She desired to give me time to heal,” stated Murray.
This week, the couple who will be lodging with her family in Palm Springs will return to The American Express. They spent Christmas with Murray’s parents in Raleigh. He remarked, “They feel like they got their son back.”
Murray anticipates more challenging times when he will require all of his family’s support, especially his faith. He acknowledges that some of his errors might not go away and might even call for atonement.
“Those who have never met me. They’ll have to see it in my actions before they can once again support Grayson. My manner has greatly improved. Now, it’s genuinely a lot of fun. Really, a golf stroke no longer determines my fate. It’s going to be much better, but I won’t sit here and promise it will all be sunshine and flowers.”
At times, he claims that he would have been out of the league if he had played hockey, signed a three-year rookie contract, and done what he did. He’s been granted another chance by golf.
He took full advantage of the opportunity to return to his pinnacle of youth golf at the Sony Open.
“There have been times when I’ve been reluctant to get out of bed. All I felt like was a failure. I always looked at myself as a failure. I mistakenly believed that my abundance of talent was a waste. It was a horrible location, but as I mentioned before, bravery is required. The determination to persevere must be present. And sure enough, that’s exactly what I did. I’m grateful and feel quite fortunate to be here” he said.
