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Last season, Grayson Murray made only five cuts in 13 starts on the PGA Tour. In his first start of 2024, he is co-leader of the Sony Open in Hawaii. This change for the better comes on the heels of Murray's change in his alcohol consumption. "I'm over eight months sober now," he said.
At the conclusion of the third round of the Sony Open, Murray took questions from reporters covering the event. He gave credit for his performance to his team that has supported him in his journey to overcome alcohol addiction.
This was part of what Grayson Murray had to say (via SB Nation):
"I’ve obviously been vocal about the alcohol use in the past. I’m over eight months sober now. I have a beautiful fiancée that I love so much and who is so supportive of me. My parents are so supportive of me. My caddie, Jay, is one of my biggest cheerleaders.
"Over the years, I’ve given in, and right when I try to give up, someone gives me a little more inspiration, saying, ‘Hey, you got it, you can do it.’ Those are the people that are close to me that I lean on in hard times. I got to keep pushing through. That’s the only way I know how."
Murray also referred to the recent champion at The Sentry, Chris Kirk, as an "inspiration." Kirk also overcame alcohol abuse to be included in the 2023 FedEx Cup Top 50 and win the first 2024 event on the PGA Tour.
Murray said:
"Chris [Kirk] is an inspiration. You can see the success after he got sober, how quickly he had success out here on Tour, became the player that he was before and even better."
Grayson Murray and his problems with alcohol consumption
In July 2021, Grayson Murray revealed that he was facing problems with binge drinking. According to the New York Post, Murray said at the time that the PGA Tour lifestyle led him to drink to excess.
In fact, the issue gained notoriety at the time. According to the New York Post, Murray expressed the opinion that the PGA Tour had not helped him deal with his problem.
Immediately, the Tour issued a statement (initially published by Golfweek) denying what Murray said. The tour also assured that the player had received and would continue to receive the support he needed.
Phil Mickelson weighed in on the controversy by supporting Grayson Murray. The six-time major champion took to his personal X account (formerly Twitter) to offer his support to his colleague. Mickelson also stated that the tour had not supported him either when he had similar problems.
