Rory McIlroy: Grayson Murray Death Shows How ‘Vulnerable’ Golfers Can Be

Rory McIlroy is speaking out about Grayson Murray’s death.

“It’s incredibly sad, first and foremost, and I think we’re all thinking of Grayson’s family and hoping that they’re doing OK and getting through this incredibly tough period,” McIlroy told reporters on Wednesday, May 29, ahead of the RBC Canadian Open, according to the BBC.

“It’s a cliche, but it puts everything in perspective. At the end of the day golf is golf and, yeah, we play it for a living, but it pales in comparison to the things that actually matter in life,” added McIlroy, 35, who also hit the headlines earlier this month after filing for divorce from his wife, Erica Stoll.

“I’ve had to realize that at times and I’m still sort of working my way through that in terms of not making golf the be-all and end-all for me. I think it slaps you in the face when something like that happens last week,” the Northern Irish golf pro added.

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McIlroy said that Murray’s death by suicide on Saturday, May 25, is a reminder that professional athletes are people, too.

“It’s incredibly sad and 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,” said McIlroy. “We’re vulnerable and we’re fragile, and I think if there’s a lesson for anyone out there it’s just to be kinder to each other.”

Murray’s parents confirmed on Sunday, May 26, that the golfer died by suicide. The golfer withdrew from the Charles Schwab Challenge tournament in Fort Worth, Texas, just days before his death, citing illness.

“We have spent the last 24 hours trying to come to terms with the fact that our son is gone,” Murray’s parents, Eric and Terry, said in a statement released by the PGA on Sunday, May 26. “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.”

They continued, “We would like to thank the PGA Tour and the entire world of golf for the outpouring of support. Life wasn’t always easy for Grayson, and although he took his own life, we know he rests peacefully now.”

Related: Grayson Murray’s Mental Health Battle in His Own Words

The late Grayson Murray had been honest about his mental health struggles through the years, and the golfer hoped that his candor could inspire others to get help. In 2021, Murray was involved in an alcohol-related incident in Hawaii which led to his suspension from the PGA Tour. “Why was I drunk?” he wrote via […]

McIlroy, meanwhile, filed for divorce from Stoll, his wife of seven years, on May 13.

The Belfast Telegraph reported on Sunday, May 26, that the golfer hired a private investigator to serve Stoll with divorce papers while she was at their shared home in Jupiter, Florida, citing court documents the outlet had obtained. McIlroy was in North Carolina competing in the PGA Tour’s Wells Fargo Championship at the time.