“At the end of the day golf is golf” - Rory McIlroy says Grayson Murray's death puts ‘everything in perspective’

Rory McIlroy commented on Grayson Murray's untimely death ahead of the RBC Canadian Open. Dubbing it “incredibly sad,” the Northern Irishman noted that his co-PGA Tour star’s loss “puts everything in perspective.”

McIlroy addressed Murray’s long struggle with mental health issues. The four-time Major champion noted that “golf is golf” at the end of the day and there are other things that “actually matter in life.” He dubbed golfers a very “vulnerable and fragile” group. The 35-year-old noted that Murray’s passing is a lesson for everyone “to be kinder to each other.”

Speaking about Grayson Murray’s death, Rory McIlroy said in a pre-event press conference at the 2024 RBC Canadian Open (at 12:19):

“It's incredibly sad first and foremost. I think we're all thinking of Grayson's family and hoping that they're doing okay and getting through this incredibly tough period. I think it's cliche but it puts everything in perspective. At the end of the day golf is golf. And we play it for a living but it pales in comparison to the things that actually matter in life.

"Everyone has to remember out here that we go out and we do things that a lot of people can't but at the end of the day we're still human beings and we're vulnerable and we're fragile.”

McIlroy said that he himself has had to work on his way to not make golf “the be-all and end-all” for him. He stated that incidents like Murray’s death “slaps you in the face” as he continues to struggle with such issues.

It is pertinent to note that McIlroy had a heavily publicized rift with Murray last year. According to several reports, the two golfers had a brief exchange in the PGA Tour player meeting held in the wake of the surprise merger with LIV Golf.

As per Golf Channel, McIlroy was told to “f**k off” by Murray, to which the former asked the latter to “just play better.”

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Grayson Murray 'took his own life'

Grayson Murray withdrew from the Charles Schwab Challenge last week, citing illness. He was later found dead inside his Palm Beach Gardens, Florida residence at 11 am on Saturday, according to police reports. The PGA Tour soon confirmed the golfer’s death.

Murray’s parents, Eric and Terry Murray, in a statement, revealed that the golfer ‘took his own life’ after years of struggle with mental health issues.

The statement read, as quoted by PGA Tour:

"We have spent the last 24 hours trying to come to terms with the fact that our son is gone. It's surreal that we not only have to admit it to ourselves but that we also have to acknowledge it to the world. It's a nightmare… Life wasn't always easy for Grayson, and although he took his own life, we know he rests peacefully now.”

Grayson Murray had been struggling with anxiety and depression for a while now. The 30-year-old himself admitted to the same. Later, he revealed undergoing treatment for alcohol abuse.

In January, Murray won the Sony Open. Following the win, the PGA Tour star claimed that he had been eight months sober.