Tag: Grayson Murray

Once a fixture at WM Phoenix Open, most Arizona State alums now play for LIV Golf

Arizona State men’s golf alumni have traditionally been a big part of the WM Phoenix Open.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Arizona State men’s golf alumni have traditionally been as big a part of the WM Phoenix Open as its crazy costumes and inebriated fans. This year is no different with five former Sun Devils in the field. But it’s the ASU alums not in the tournament who are most conspicuous.

Six former Sun Devils have jumped to LIV Golf, most notably Jon Rahm and Phil Mickelson, who have a combined 64 PGA Tour victories. Mickelson once played 30 consecutive times at TPC Scottsdale.

The five remaining Sun Devils in the Phoenix Open field have a combined five PGA Tour wins (three by Chez Reavie and two by Grayson Murray).

“The ASU presence, I feel like it’s not as much anymore,” Murray said of the Phoenix Open field.

But while LIV has drained the Sun Devil connection to the Phoenix Open, ASU coach Matt Thurmond said he does not believe it detracts from his program.

“While I appreciate everything that the PGA Tour does and has done, and I appreciate everything LIV is doing, I don’t have a horse in the race,” Thurmond said. “What I want is what’s best for our players.”

In 2022, Thurmond’s star player – David Puig – decided it was best for him to leave school early and join LIV. Puig now plays for Fireballs GC alongside Sergio Garcia.

“It got to the point where we felt like it was such a no-brainer for him,” Thurmond said.

Puig initially played in a few LIV events as an amateur while remaining on ASU’s team. But eventually the deal “got even better for him,” Thurmond said. So, Puig turned pro in a groundbreaking development for the upstart golf league. The young Spaniard paid his own tuition to complete his degree at ASU and still lives with three current Sun Devils golfers.

“Our relationship as friends, it didn’t change much,” Puig said.

Puig’s LIV decision foreshadowed the arrival of a far more famous Spanish Sun Devil in Rahm. The reigning Master’s champion and world No. 3 player committed to LIV in a shocking reversal last December.

Like Puig, Rahm still lives in Scottsdale. In his news conference before the LIV Las Vegas event this weekend, he expressed sadness at missing out on the Phoenix Open and said he hopes to play in the event again.

Rahm’s absence casts a shadow over the tournament – and the future of the PGA Tour. But the ASU alums still in the Phoenix Open field say their relationships with Rahm are unchanged.

“Jon is one of my best friends,” said Nicolo Galletti, a former Sun Devil making his first PGA Tour start at the Phoenix Open. “He obviously just went to LIV, and I think it’s awesome for him.

“Make your money. That’s what it’s about. This is a job.”

The players did not believe that ASU alums on LIV were actively pulling other Sun Devils to the breakaway tour.

“I think it was just all on an individual basis,” said Reavie, who has played in 400 events on the PGA Tour since 2002.

Puig agreed that the ASU presence on LIV was not a major factor in his decision. But he did speak to Rahm about LIV before the two-time major winner made the switch.

“I don’t know if our talks helped or not,” Puig said.

Puig and Rahm played golf together frequently this past offseason.

“We have a lot of things in common, which is crazy because he’s a superstar, and I’m just starting my professional life,” Puig said.

While it has poached some of the world’s best talent, LIV still lags far behind the PGA Tour in popularity among fans. When both tours were live last Saturday, the PGA Tour received more than 11 times the viewership than LIV.

A 2022 survey famously found that only about 22 percent of golf fans approved of LIV. The league recently came under fire for allegedly threatening to imprison bankers that cooperated with the U.S. government investigation into the planned merger between it and the PGA Tour.

But the ASU men’s golf team seems to feel differently about LIV than most golf fans.

“It’s not just ASU, it’s all teams,” Thurmond said. “These kids are really excited about what LIV’s doing.”

The team aspect of LIV is particularly intriguing for college golfers, according to Thurmond.

With three current players ranked among the top 20 amateurs in the world, the Sun Devil presence on LIV could grow even larger in the coming years. Thurmond said he wouldn’t comment specifically on whether his current players – including freshman Wenyi Ding, Preston Summerhays and Josele Ballester – had already been approached by LIV.

“But I will say that they have had or actively have opportunities all the time,” Thurmond said.

Though the most famous ASU alums play elsewhere, the Sun Devils on the PGA Tour continue to have an impact. Rookie Kevin Yu posted two top-10 finishes in January, putting him inside the top 30 of the FedEx Cup standings. Yu accrued the second-best career scoring average (70.46) in ASU history during the Golfstat era, trailing only Rahm.

“One thing that stands out with Kevin is his ball-striking,” Thurmond said. “It’s pretty stunning to watch. He hits it as high and as far and as straight … as anybody I’ve ever seen.”

Murray won the Sony Open in Hawaii earlier this year, earning his second career victory and first since 2017.

Reavie, Galletti and Jesse Mueller – also a volunteer assistant for the Grand Canyon University men’s golf team – round out the Sun Devils in the 2024 Phoenix Open field.

With ASU playing in Hawaii at the Amer Ari Invitational, LIV playing its second event of the season in Las Vegas and the Phoenix Open scrambling to finish after heavy rain delayed the schedule, it will inevitably be a massive weekend for Sun Devils golfers.

“The golf program here has always been just a major part (of the university),” Thurmond said. “Golf is a really big deal here.”

King Jemison is a graduate student at Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism.

Winner’s Bag: Grayson Murray, 2024 Sony Open in Hawaii

Check out the clubs that got the job done in Hawaii.

A complete list of the golf equipment Grayson Murray used to win the PGA Tour’s 2024 Sony Open in Hawaii:

DRIVER: Mizuno ST-X 230 (10.5 degrees), with UST Mamiya LIN-Q M40X White 7F5 shaft

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FAIRWAY WOODS: Callaway Rogue ST Max (16.5 degrees), with UST Mamiya LIN-Q M40X Black 7F5, Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond (20 degrees), with UST Mamiya LIN-Q M40X 8F5

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IRONS: Mizuno Pro 225 (4), Mizuno Pro 221 (5-PW), with True Temper Dynamic Gold X100 Tour Issue shafts

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WEDGES: Mizuno T24 (52, 56, 60 degrees), with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts

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PUTTER: L.A.B. Golf Link.1

BALL: Titleist Pro V1

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GRIPS: Golf Pride MCC (full swing) / Garsen Quad Tour (putter)

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The redemption of Grayson Murray: Clutch birdie seals 2024 Sony Open in Hawaii via three-way playoff

The win is the second of Murray’s career and first since 2017.

HONOLULU – On the first hole of a three-man playoff at the Sony Open in Hawaii, Grayson Murray faced a 40-foot birdie putt. Both of his competitors – Byeong Hun (Ben) An and Keegan Bradley – were well inside him, with An 4 feet from possibly his first win. Murray figured one if not both of them would make their birdie putts, so he knew he had to give his putt a chance. Did he ever.

His left-to-right breaking putt straightened out as it neared the hole and disappeared, center cut. When neither An nor Bradley converted their birdie putts, Murray was a champion again on the PGA Tour for the first time in six years, five months and 22 days.

“I kept telling Jay, (his caddie), we’re hitting good putts, we’re hitting them right where we want, and we’re going to have one drop today, and it’s going to be big… and it might be for the win.”

Murray closed in 3-under 67 on Sunday at Waialae Country Club, including a clutch birdie at 18 in regulation to force his way into the playoff with a 72-hole total of 17-under 263.

That he returned to the winner’s circle in Hawaii of all places is fitting as it was site of one of his lowest points. Three years ago during this tournament, Murray was involved in an incident at a hotel bar where many of the players stayed, and the Tour placed him on probation.

“Why was I drunk?” he posted on social media. “Because I’m an alcoholic that hates everything to do with the PGA Tour life and that’s my scapegoat.”

Nevertheless, Murray showed great promise on the course, winning the 2017 Barbasol Championship despite drinking during tournament week and admitting on Sunday that he played three days hungover when he won.

“Best thing and worst thing that ever happened to me was winning my rookie year,” he said. “I think the alcohol brought a side out of me that wasn’t me. It was kind of the monster in me in a way.”

But the early success proved to be short-lived. He struggled to make cuts and conceded he was jealous of the players he grew up competing against, who were having greater success. Along the way, he had a Twitter spat with a fellow player, suffered a scooter accident in 2022 in Bermuda, and threatened to quit on multiple occasions. Murray also dealt with anxiety and depression, and said there were days he didn’t want to get out of bed.

2024 Sony Open in Hawaii
Grayson Murray celebrates with Akshay Bhatia after winning the 2024 Sony Open in Hawaii at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Photo: Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

“I just thought I was a failure,” he said. “I thought I had a lot of talent that was just a waste of talent.”

Murray eventually entered rehab and said he’s been sober for eight months.

“It was by choice,” he said. “It was time.”

He regained exempt status on the PGA Tour this season after winning twice on the Korn Ferry Tour last year and set out to treat his return to the big leagues as a new beginning.

“I said, ‘Hey, look, I have an opportunity here,'” Murray recounted. “Probably haven’t reached my prime yet. I can get on a good solid 10-year run, and that’s what I plan on doing. I’m in such a good spot right now where I don’t want to change anything I’m doing.”

His caddie, Jay Green, called the change in Murray “night and day,” and added, “What I knew of him was off Twitter and his off-course issues. He’s got a lot of support now and he’s living a disciplined life.”

Murray is engaged to be married on April 27, and his fiancée, Christiana, walked the final holes and the playoff with fellow pro Tom Hoge’s father. Murray met her three years ago at the American Express, the week after his incident during the Sony Open.

2024 Sony Open in Hawaii
Grayson Murray and fiancee Christiana pose with the trophy winning the 2024 Sony Open in Hawaii at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Photo: Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

“I can’t wait to do life with you,” she said when asked what she wanted to say to Murray after the win. “That’s going to be our wedding song.”

Murray shot 64 in the third round to share the 54-hole lead with Bradley. Before the final round, Josh Gregory, his short-game coach, tried to downplay the task at hand, saying playing well might do something for his golf career but it wouldn’t change his life. “I just used that mentality,” Murray said.

He stayed patient, making eight straight pars to start the final round before birdies at Nos. 9 and 10. With the final group on the 14th hole, there were five players tied for the lead at 16 under. At 18, Murray flighted a wedge from 78 yards inside three feet to match Bradley’s 67 and tied An (64), who two-putted for birdie ahead of him to get to 17 under.

The tee shot at the dog-leg left 18th, the first playoff hole, doesn’t set up well for Murray, a fader, especially with the wind off the left. He tugged it off the tee in the playoff, clipping a palm frond and had no choice but to lay up. He wedged 40 feet left of the hole. During regulation, his caddie watched Sam Stevens leave a putt on the same line short. Murray made sure he didn’t make the same mistake and broke into lusty fist pumps when he canned the putt.

“I love making big-time putts in big-time moments,” he said. “I’m never going to back down from a celebration.”

Bradley had made a clutch 20-foot birdie putt at 15 to assume the lead but played the par-5 18th in two pars.

“This is one of the hardest losses I’ve ever had in my career, if not the hardest,” said Bradley, who missed to the left on his 17-foot birdie putt to extend the playoff. “I played good enough to win. But sometimes it’s just not quite good enough, and that was one of these weeks.”

An shoved his 4-foot putt that would have forced another hole with Murray to the right and it didn’t even touch the cup.

“It’s a shame it ended that way,” An said. “It hurts, but what are you going to do.”

Murray is proud that he’s winning the battle with his demons and his watery eyes were one indication of how rewarding it was to see his hard work paying off.

“It’s not easy, you know. I want to give up a lot of times, give up on myself, give up on the game of golf, give up on life at times,” he said. “Just persevere, and when you get tired of fighting let someone else fight for you.”

That final line was a reference to something Murray believed was said by former North Carolina State men’s basketball coach Jim Valvano but actually is credited to ESPN’s Stuart Scott, who died of cancer in 2015. Regardless, Murray said those word had lifted him up and helped him write this next chapter of his redemption story.

“My story is not finished,” Murray said. “I think it’s just beginning. I hope I can inspire a lot of people going forward that have their own issues.”

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Keegan Bradley’s perfect day and Grayson Murray’s new lease on life among takeaways from the 3rd round of Sony Open in Hawaii

Here’s what you need to know from the third round.

HONOLULU — Keegan Bradley had one of those days every golfer dreams of —the type where everything falls into place.

“Today was one of those days where just like I had great numbers. I could see every shot,” he said. “I just had a blast out there with Scotty (Vail), my caddie. We just did a great job together.”

Bradley made eight birdies en route to shooting 7-under 63 at Wailae Country Club to share the 54-hole in the Sony Open in Hawaii with Grayson Murray at 14-under 196.

For Bradley, it all began when he struck a perfect drive, a perfect 6-iron and rolled in the birdie putt.

“I just felt calm all day, which isn’t normal for me,” said Bradley, an understatement from one of the most fidgety golfers in the game.

Sony Open: Final round tee times

Bradley said he has always enjoyed playing this tournament and thought it was a course where he could win despite the fact he has never recorded a top-10 finish in 11 previous appearances. He blamed a balky putter in the past for his less-than-stellar record. But this week, he has gained more than two strokes on the greens in the first and third rounds and ranks T-11 for the week. After struggling on the greens when the governing bodies banned his trusty belly putter, Bradley’s putter has become a weapon again.

“I never knew if I’d get back to a level where I was with the belly putter,” he said. “At this point, I feel like I’ve surpassed it. It took a lot of hard work and a lot of dark days.”

He made a clutch sandy at 16 and then stuffed a 6 iron inside 7 feet at the par-3 17th and made the putt.

“Just a perfect cut 6 iron into the wind,” he said.

Bradley knows he likely won’t be able to count on hitting so many perfect shots in the final round, but he’s embracing the chance to earn his seventh career PGA Tour title.

“I’ve been here before and I’ve never felt more confident being in this position,” said Bradley, who has converted a 54-hole lead or co-lead into victory just once in five previous occasions in his career. “I now look forward to days like tomorrow.”

Sony Open co-leader Grayson Murray injured his back in unusual way and didn’t touch a club for a month

“I actually got hurt holding the trophy.”

HONOLULU — Winning the Simmons Bank Open for the Snedeker Foundation in Nashville was a weight off Grayson Murray’s back, as it clinched his ticket back to the PGA Tour.

Just don’t ask him to hold the trophy for his triumph there in September.

During his post-round press conference at the Sony Open in Hawaii, where he’s the 54-hole co-leader after shooting 6-under 64 on Saturday, he noted, “I had a little back issue there for about a month or so that I didn’t touch a club.”

That begged the question: how exactly did he injure his back?

“I actually got hurt holding the trophy,” he later said. “I have a herniated bulging disc. It’s fine, I got two shots, and it helped, just taking Aleve now. It’s something to monitor.”

Murray has slimmed down since becoming sober eight months ago, but he’s still no shrinking violet. So about the trophy, a guitar with a strap, which just happens to be one of the coolest in golf …”It was 45 pounds, and I was holding it for like an hour for pictures and stuff,” he said.

Murray has one PGA Tour title to his credit, the 2017 Barbasol Championship. If he wins the Sony Open on Sunday, perhaps he should consider having his caddie hold the trophy for him.

Meet the 30 Korn Ferry Tour golfers who earned PGA Tour cards for 2024 season

These 30 players are being promoted to the big leagues.

The Korn Ferry Tour Championship was the 26th and final event of the 2023 season, and the top 30 players on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List upon conclusion of Sunday’s final round earned their PGA Tour cards for the 2024 season.

The action at Victoria National Golf Club in Newburgh, Indiana, was intense as 16 cards had already been finalized heading into the week, leaving just 14 cards still up for grabs.

Paul Barjon won the season-ending event and that vaulted him into the top 30. He was among the five players who were not in the top 30 when the week started who played their way in. Shad Tuten was dinged with a two-shot penalty Sunday and that cost him a card, dropping from 29th to 32nd. Jorge Fernandez Valdes finished in the 31st spot, a third-round 77 likely the biggest culprit for him.

The top KFT finisher was Ben Kohles, who had two wins this season.

For those who fell short, all is not lost. Players who finished Nos. 31-60 on the KFT points list have earned exemptions to the Final Stage of PGA Tour Q-School, where the top five finishers and ties will earn their 2024 PGA Tour cards.

The final stage is Dec. 14-17 at TPC Sawgrass Dye’s Valley Course as well as Sawgrass Country Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

The 2024 PGA Tour season starts at The Sentry, Jan. 4-7 at the Plantation Course at Kapalua but that event is reserved for PGA Tour winners and the top 30 in the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup standings from last season, so for these KFT grads, their 2024 PGA Tour season will start the next week at the Sony Open of Hawaii.

Here’s the complete list of 30 Korn Ferry Tour golfers who earned their 2024 PGA Tour cards.

Fresh off a win, Grayson Murray leads strong Korn Ferry Tour field at the Visit Knoxville Open

Murray has been open about some struggles with mental health and alcohol.

The game’s future stars have descended upon Holston Hills Country Club in Knoxville, Tennessee, this week for the Visit Knoxville Open on the Korn Ferry Tour.

Last year, Anders Albertson used an opening-round 8-under 62 to propel him to the win. Carl Yuan finished solo second at 19 under, MJ Daffue grabbed solo third at 18 under, and Taylor Montgomery — whose seen some steady success on the PGA Tour over the last 8 months — and Sean O’Hair tied for fourth at 16 under.

Ben Kohles, the 2022-23 KFT Points leader, is in the field looking for his third win of the season. Kohles won the Astara Chile Classic and the HomeTown Lenders Championship in April. Both events were decided by a playoff.

Grayson Murray reacts after winning the AdventHealth Championship at Blue Hills Country Club on May 21, 2023, in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jeff Curry/Getty Images)

Fresh off a win at the AdventHealth Championship, Grayson Murray now sits 14th on the points list. Murray has made six stroke-play event starts on the PGA Tour this season. He missed five cuts and tied for 15th at the Puerto Rico Open in March.

Murray has said he might consider playing the remainder of the season on the Korn Ferry Tour. Just eight months ago, he was in a scooter accident in Bermuda that didn’t lead to any broken bones but he did need 50 stitches — 25 on his face, 10 on his leg and others on various parts of his body.

Last week’s victory was Murray’s second on the Korn Ferry Tour and he also won as a rookie on the PGA Tour at the 2016 Barbasol Championship.

Murray has been open about some struggles with mental health and alcohol.

“I think everyone has their own battles,” Murray said after last week’s victory. “Sometimes people are able to hide ’em and function and
sometimes you’re not. You know, I think our society now is getting better about accepting that, you know, it’s OK to not be OK type deal. I’ve embraced that type of mentality. Not ashamed that I go through depression, anxiety.

“I know I’ve helped people out in the past just through my social media DMs, people messenger me and that’s I think part of I can use my platform to continue to help with things like that.”

According to Data Golf, Alejandro Tosti is the favorite to win. The Argentinean has finished T-7, T-10, T-22 and solo fourth in his last four Korn Ferry starts. On top of his success at this level, Tosti is three-for-three making the cut on the big tour this year, with his best finish coming at the Mexico Open where he tied for 10th. He’s still searching for his first win.

As for the golf course, Holston Hills is a par-70 track that measures 7,218 yards. HHCC was founded in 1927 and was designed by the famed Donald Ross.

The last two winners of the Visit Knoxville Open reached 20 under, so birdies — and a lot of them — will be needed to have any shot of winning the title.

If you live in the area and are interested in attending the event, daily tickets are available as well as week-long badges. You can purchase tickets online here.

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Seven months after bad scooter accident, Grayson Murray wins on Korn Ferry Tour

Murray needed more than 50 stitches after a bad scooter accident last October.

Seven months ago, Grayson Murray was injured in a severe scooter accident, forcing him to withdraw from a PGA Tour event in Bermuda.

On Sunday in Kansas City, Missouri, Murray found himself hoisting a trophy for the first time in six years after winning the 2023 AdventHealth Championship on the Korn Ferry Tour. He did so despite a double-bogey 7 on the 18 hole.

Murray put himself in great position after a 64 on Saturday. He opened that round with three straight birdies, had another at 12 and then put his foot on the gas, closing with birdies on Nos. 15 through 18.

On Sunday, Murray birdied Nos. 1, 7 and 10 before an eagle on No. 13. He had another birdie on 16 before parring the 17th. With just one bogey through 71 holes, Murray stumbled a bit on the par-5 closing hole with a double but shot a 68 to get to 19 under and hold off Rico Hoey and Wilson Furr by a shot.

“It hasn’t really sunk in,” Murray said. “Six years is a long drought, far longer than I wanted. Sometimes your highs are high out here and your lows are low. It’s a very humbling sport. I’ve been working really hard, and this is a testament to the hard work.

“My parents have been through hell and back basically for the last six years with me fighting some mental stuff. It’s not easy on me, and the people around me that love me, they don’t like to see me down. They’ve been my No. 1 supporters. There’s a few friends as well that have been there, and it makes these moments a lot more special when you can share it with them.”

The win was Murray’s second on the Korn Ferry Tour. He also won as a rookie on the PGA Tour at the 2016 Barbasol Championship.

Murray made news off the course for getting into Twitter spats with other pros, particularly Kevin Na. Murray’s scooter accident in Bermuda didn’t lead to any broken bones but he needed 50 stitches — 25 stitches on his face, 10 on his leg and others on various parts of his body.

With this win under his belt, he said he may stick it on on the Korn Ferry Tour for now.

“It’s going to be interesting to see what I focus on, because I think maybe my best chance would be to just stay out here and play on this tour since there’s 30 cards given this year instead of 25,” said Murray. “But we’ll see. I’m going to enjoy this one first.”

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Matt Fitzpatrick highlights notable PGA Tour players to miss the cut at the 2023 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am

Check out the players who came up short on the Monterey Peninsula.

Poor weather has wreaked havoc at this week’s PGA Tour stop on the Monterey Peninsula, setting up for a rare Monday finish.

After the conclusion of the third round early Sunday afternoon, Justin Rose held the 54-hole lead at 12 under, with Peter Malnati and Kurt Kitayama T-2 at 11 under. On the opposite end of the leaderboard, fan-favorite and past champion Jordan Spieth barely made the cut on the number at 1 under.

But what about those who weren’t so lucky? Check out the notable PGA Tour players who missed the cut and went home early at the 2023 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

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Grayson Murray injured in severe scooter accident ahead of 2022 Butterfield Bermuda Championship

The accident caused Murray, 29, to withdraw from the PGA Tour event.

Grayson Murray, who was scheduled to play in the 2022 Butterfield Bermuda Championship this week, was involved in a severe scooter accident causing him to withdraw from the PGA Tour event.

Tourists are not permitted to rent vehicles in Bermuda and scooters are the easiest way to get around. After an afternoon at the beach on Tuesday, Murray was riding back to his hotel around 4 p.m. when he steered around a bend and neared the center line. The car on the opposite side also neared the center line resulting in Murray colliding with the corner of the front of the vehicle and rolling 20 feet.

Murray’s caddie for the week, Doug Schwimer, was riding on another scooter directly behind him and tried to stop and help as he watched the accident occur. Schwimer was trying to get off the scooter quickly before coming to a complete stop and fell off, but only experienced road rash and was not transported to the hospital.

Following the accident, Murray was unconscious and vaguely remembers waiting for the ambulance. The 29-year-old Murray has one PGA Tour win, which came in 2017 at the Barbasol Championship.

Murray did not break any bones but received 50 stitches — 25 stitches on his face, 10 on his leg and others on various parts of his body. He believes he might have suffered some ligament damage in his knee and will see a specialist on Friday after he returns to his home in North Carolina.

Since Murray is unable to play and withdrew from the event, Schwimer will now caddie for Johnson Wagner, who got into the field as an alternate because of Murray’s accident.

Schwimer asked Murray if it was OK to caddie for another player in the event, and he encouraged him to do so since he was already on the island.

(Editor’s note: This post has been modified as an investigation continues.)

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