Grayson Murray’s legacy on and off the course is being honored Monday in the first-ever Grayson Murray Classic in Raleigh.
PGA legends, NFL stars and the Carolina Hurricanes all united to honor the rising golf star in the inaugural tournament benefiting the Grayson Murray Foundation.
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“We are overwhelmed by the support we are seeing,” said the foundation’s president, Jeff Maness. “He would not believe that 24 of his best friends – many of the top golfers in the world – and a lot of local celebrity athletes like Cam Ward, Justin Williams, and Erik Cole from the Carolina Hurricanes; Mike Glennon and Koren Robinson that are NFL legends who played at NC State; and many others are coming to celebrate his life and contribute their time and treasure to his cause.”
At the age of 30, Murray took his own life after speaking publicly about his struggles with anxiety and depression.
“Our hope is to remove the stigma associated with mental health by telling Grayson’s story,” Maness shared.
Maness, who now leads the foundation in Murray’s honor, described the golfer as “kind and generous” who uplifted those around him.
“I met Grayson when he was about 13 years old, at the Raleigh Country Club. He and my son began to play golf,” Maness told WRAL. “I learned a tremendous amount about caring for someone that was battling something that was hidden.”
The idea behind the foundation came from Grayson himself. The athlete wrote down his mission to use his financial success from golf to help others who could not afford treatment on a piece of paper while undergoing treatment himself.
“We need to talk more about it. We need to increase our services associated with mental health illnesses. We hope to continue this fight toward improving the lives of others. That was Grayson’s wish,” Maness added. “Having this conversation about mental health as an illness—it’s like heart disease or cancer. People have it, and it can be treated.”
Maness thanked those who made Monday’s event possible, stating it was a team effort.
“The PGA Tour has never left the side of the Murray family or this foundation. Jay Monahan and his team continue to help us. We have players from the PGA Tour coming,” Maness said. “Jimmy Goodmon, CEO of Capitol Broadcasting Company, and WRAL are a major sponsor to the event. We’re very thankful for their generous contributions.”
L.A.B. Golf CEO Sam Hahn and Gary Williams, a media personality with the Golf Channel, were among other names Maness highlighted as other supporters.
Along with the golf classic, the event at Raleigh Country Club involved a silent auction featuring contributions from Scottie Scheffler. The North Raleigh Country Club later hosted a dinner for participants, with a performance by country music’s George Birge.
Those unable to attend Monday’s event can still support the Grayson Murray Foundation online.