Scottie Scheffler paid an emotional tribute to his friend and fellow golfer Grayson Murray, who took his own life last month.
Scheffler, 27, the No. 1 golfer in the world, and dozens of PGA Tour peers gathered Tuesday, June 4 at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio to eulogize the late Murray.
“We’re not designed to live this life on our own,” Scheffler told the gathering, according to Sports Illustrated. “We all carry a lot more baggage than we let on — myself especially.”
Murray — who was 30 years old when he was found dead in his Palm Beach Gardens, Florida home on May 25 — had been very candid about his struggles with mental health and alcoholism throughout his playing career.
“I think we all wish we could have done more for him, wish we could have done things differently,” Scheffler continued. “You know, your mind just kind of goes to what you could have done to prevent this from happening.”
Scheffler explained that Murray had been actively trying to get his fiancée Christiana Ritchie more involved with the other wives and partners on Tour — including Scheffler’s wife Meredith Scudder — at the time of his death.
“He was trying to really be the best version of himself, and to be a great husband,” Scheffler said. “He was looking forward to one day becoming a dad, and it pains me that he’s no longer with us.”
According to The Guardian, Scheffler also told a story of playing a nine-hole practice round with Murray one year before The Players Championship.
“The look on his face when I gave him $100 on the ninth green is something I’ll remember for a long time because you couldn’t wipe that smile off his face,” Scheffler reportedly said. “Without a doubt, he loved being out here inside the ropes.”
When he concluded his remarks, The Guardian reported Scheffler was “weeping” and he “buried his head in his wife’s shoulder.”
No members of Murray’s family, including Ritchie, were present at the gathering, but the late golfer’s loved ones did organize a celebration of life for him earlier this week.
During the emotional event on Monday, June 3, Murray was honored with speeches from his longtime coach Ted Kiegiel, Carolina Hurricanes star Jaccob Slavin and a performance by country singer Jake Owen.
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