From feuds to COVID, Grayson Murray is a golf pro who isn’t afraid to express opinions
There are many opinionated golfers on the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour. But outspoken? Not so many.
Grayson Murray is one of those willing to say what’s on his mind. Interviews, on social media, whatever, the Raleigh native doesn’t always hold back.
Murray, born at Rex Hospital, is back at the Rex Hospital Open being played this week at the Country Club at Wakefield Plantation. The former PGA Tour winner closed the 2019 Rex event with a final-round 61 — last year’s Korn Ferry tournament was canceled because of the pandemic — and returned this year hoping a good finish can help propel him to a strong season.
“Just trying to find my game,” he said in an interview with media Thursday. “I need to get my confidence going.”
Murray, 27, just wants to get back to playing golf at the highest level. He wants back on the PGA Tour full time and likes seeing more fans returning to see events, noting that fans drive the business.
Like many of his peers, Murray was impressed with Phil Mickelson, at 50, winning the 2021 PGA Championship, saying, “He’s worked hard at it and it showed. He’s probably working just as hard at 50 as he did at 30. It’s impressive to have that drive.”
That has been the year’s top golf story line so far, on the golf course — Tiger Woods’ miraculous survival from a car crash in February being the biggest off-course news.
Then there’s the Bryson DeChambeau-Brooks Koepka drama. The two are feuding, and it boiled over recently when Koepka was being interviewed by the Golf Channel and DeChambeau strolled behind him and muttered something. Koekpa responded with some choice comments that included a few profane words. It soon went viral, of course.
Murray is solidly in DeChambeau’s corner. If it was a fight, he could be the guy with the white towel over his shoulder.
“I don’t think Koepka likes Bryson and I don’t think Bryson really cares,” Murray said. “I don’t know why people go at Bryson so hard. We grew up playing against each other. We’re the same age. I don’t know how you don’t respect someone who’s trying to do everything in his power to get better, and he does it his way and it works.
“It doesn’t matter if he plays at 180 pounds or 240 pounds, he’s still winning. It just shows his work ethic and how he goes a long ways trying all these different things. I don’t think there’s any other player who would have the patience to try the things he has and not only try it but go through with it. He doesn’t care about the backlash. He is who he is.”
DeChambeau, 27, is a U.S. Open champion and eight-time PGA Tour winner. The former SMU golfer also won the U.S. Amateur and NCAA individual championship before turning pro. Yes, he’s unique and opened even more eyes with extensive weight training that pushed his weight to about 240 pounds and made him one of the longest hitters on tour.
Koepka has four major titles — two U.S. Opens, two PGAs — and also has won eight times on the tour. He’s a big guy, too, although not DeChambeau big.
Some fans were escorted out of the Memorial Tournament on Friday for yelling “Brooksie” at DeChambeau. Koepka later was on Twitter thanking fans for showing him “support” at the event even if he wasn’t playing.
“Brooks has this stubbornness, like everyone is against him, and I think he does it to himself because I think he gets a lot of respect,” Murray said. “We all respect he won four majors. That’s an incredible run.”
Murray said the feud might be “a little made up.” He noted the PGA Tour has a $40 million bonus pool and Player Impact Program rankings. Golfweek reported in April the tour will use such factors as Google Search, social media, Nielsen brand exposure, fan engagement and Q ratings in determining those rankings.
Golfweek said the top 10 players, based on their Impact Score, will receive the $40 million at the end of the year, with the winner getting $8 million. DeChambeau easily could be top 10. So could Koepka.
“I don’t think they texted each other and said, ‘Let’s get in a fight,’” Murray said. But the “feud” won’t hurt, either.
Murray does agree with Koepka on one point: Tiger Woods should get the top bonus even if not playing. Any photo of Woods, standing with a crutch and watching a kids soccer game, immediately goes viral, he said.
“Tiger doesn’t have to say a word and can win it every year,” Murray said. “When he’s healthy they ought to just say, ‘Play X amount of tournaments and you win.’ Tiger drives the tour more than anyone out there.”
For now, Murray said it’s nice being home, sleeping in his own bed for the week. He opened the Rex with a 2-under 69 on Thursday, eight shots behind the leader, Andrew Novak, another Raleigh native and former Wofford golfer who shot a 61 before the first round was suspended by thunderstorms.
Murray is happy things are returning to normal, in life and in professional golf now that so many people are getting their vaccines for the coronavirus. Not Murray, though. Not yet.
Murray contracted COVID-19 in July 2020 and posted on social media that he was in self-isolation. His symptoms, which included loss of smell and taste, lasted for about eight days, he said. But he has not been vaccinated.
“Personally I’m not into the scare of the whole thing,” he said. “That’s my take on it. Now that the vaccine is out, people are going to get it. If they choose not to get it, that’s fine.
“I think eventually the tour is going to going to put it on us to go get our own (COVID-19) test and pay for our own test, which would be a pain. That’s their way of saying you’ll have to go get yours (vaccine). I don’t want to but I have family members who have.”
Why his opposition to taking the vaccine?
“Technically it’s not FDA approved,” Murray said. “Last time I checked it wasn’t. I don’t know what people’s complications from it will be years from now. I’ll do it when it’s FDA approved. I’ve already had (COVID-19). I’m not going to die from it. If it makes my life easier out here I’m pretty much forced to do it. That’s pretty much what the tour’s doing, which I don’t agree with. ... If 60 or 70 percent of the guys out here are vaccinated I don’t think there’s any issue. ...
“I think at some point we’re all just over it and we’re ready to get back to normal life. It took longer than it should have, to be honest. ... I feel bad for those businesses who shut down because of who their governor is or who was in charge of allowing the states to open up. I have my political view and I’m very open about it, but I also respect everybody’s opinion about it.”
REX Hospital Open
Korn Ferry Tour event
When: Thursday-Sunday
Where: Country Club of Wakefield Plantation, Raleigh.
Information: Rexhospitalopen.com
This story was originally published June 4, 2021 at 3:05 PM with the headline "From feuds to COVID, Grayson Murray is a golf pro who isn’t afraid to express opinions."
