Grayson Murray standing up to Jay Monahan over PGA Tour's agreement with LIV Golf showed his class

Tributes to Grayson Murray have been paid from across the sporting landscape following the golfer's tragic passing at the age of just 30, with the two-time PGA Tour event winner held in high esteem

Grayson Murray showed his bravery and character when he stood up to PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan following the circuit's planned merger with LIV Golf.

The American tragically died this weekend at the age of 30 after withdrawing from the second round of the Charles Schwab Challenge on Friday. His passing was announced by Monahan, sparking an outpouring of grief from the golf community, as stars including caddie Jay Green and Scottie Scheffler paid emotional tributes.

Murray's standing in the sport was long established, having won two events on the PGA Tour across his 12-year career on the American circuit. He also gained respect for his principles off the course too, with his comments in relation to the proposed agreement between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf in a meeting earning him respect among peers last year.

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Among the stars who had joined the aforementioned Monahan for the summit at the Canadian Open in 2023, it was claimed that Murray called out the commissioner after the shock announcement over a merger last June. According to the Telegraph, he said: "We don’t trust you, Jay—you lied to our face."

It was also purported that his comment led to Rory McIlroy effectively expressing loyalty towards Monahan, allegedly replying: "Just play better, Grayson," while Murray reportedly fired back with an expletive in response. This version of events was corroborated by Michael Kim, who was present for the meeting, who added on Twitter/X: "There was some more dialogue between the 'lied to our face' and 'just play better' quotes."

Murray also called out the PGA Tour in a deleted post on Twitter/X in 2021, where he wrote: "No the PGA Tour didn’t force me to drink. but the PGA Tour never gave me help. In my five years of experience of being on tour not once have I ever had a request been acknowledged by the commissioner or the PAC other than ‘we will get back to you’.

"I hope not only the PGA tour steps up in the areas they need to step up but I also hope people are held accountable in their roles they serve."

Commissioner Monahan later confirmed that he contacted the golfer after news reached him of the post, saying: "When Grayson said that, I called him right away. You know, over the last several years, I spent a lot of time with him because I wanted to understand what we could do in his estimation, in his opinion, to help everybody else out here.

"We’ve made a number of advancements along those lines and, you know, it’s become a real point of focus and emphasis. We’re proud of the programs we have in place to support our players, to support everybody out here."

Paying tribute to Murray following his passing, Monahan said: "We were devastated to learn – and are heartbroken to share – that PGA Tour player Grayson Murray passed away this morning. I am at a loss for words. The PGA Tour is a family, and when you lose a member of your family, you are never the same. We mourn Grayson and pray for comfort for his loved ones.

"I reached out to Grayson’s parents to offer our deepest condolences, and during that conversation, they asked that we continue with tournament play. They were adamant that Grayson would want us to do so. As difficult as it will be, we want to respect their wishes."