Grayson Murray’s memory honored with final tee time at UNC Health Championship

Grayson Murray had the final tee time Sunday at the Korn Ferry Tour’s UNC Health Championship presented by STITCH, a tribute to the late Raleigh-area native who impacted several in his home region with generosity and kindness.

Murray’s golf bag was set on the first tee Sunday at Raleigh Country Club, carried to the tee by his caddie Jay Green. Several of Murray’s family members were in attendance, including his parents Eric and Terry Murray, brother Cameron Murray and sister Erica Robinson.

After Sunday’s final pairing teed off at Raleigh Country Club, a moment of remembrance included words by family friend Jeff Maness, honorary starter Bo Bromhal, Raleigh Country Club owner John McConnell and Korn Ferry Tour President Alex Baldwin.

The Murray family will launch the Grayson Murray Foundation in the near future, promoting addiction awareness and enhancing mental health services and research.

Murray’s memory has been top-of-mind across the PGA TOUR and Korn Ferry Tour this week. Earlier this week at the TOUR’s RBC Canadian Open, Akshay Bhatia inscribed “G$” just below his left wrist to remember Murray.

Bhatia, approximately eight years younger than Murray, spoke of his gratitude for Murray’s friendship, guidance and constant encouragement that Bhatia had the game to compete at the highest level. Bhatia is now a two-time TOUR winner, as was Murray.

“He just taught me to be kind to others,” Bhatia said this week. “His parents have always been awesome to me and treated me like one of their own, and he's done the same.

“Any time I got to see him smile and just talked to him, I knew he was one of the few guys out here that truly wanted me to play well. He just lifted a lot of people's spirits. Even if his weren't up, he still wanted everyone to live a great life.”

Chesson Hadley, also from the Raleigh area, spoke in Canada of Murray’s generosity – they’d often share a meal at The Country Club at Wakefield Plantation nearby, and Murray often insisted on taking the tab. “He didn’t have to do that,” said Hadley, also noting how Murray had grown in his faith in recent months.

As Sunday's ceremony indicated, Murray's memory will endure forever.