Grayson Murray pulled out of the John Deere Classic midway through the first round this week, saying on social media that he was struggling to focus after recently losing his grandmother.
Murray had missed the cut in his previous six starts to this week’s event in Silvis, Illinois, and made it through 13 holes of Thursday’s round, before leaving the tournament, saying via Twitter, “Sorry to have to withdraw from such a great event. but i need to be home to be with my family during this time. thanks for the support and privacy.”
Then on Friday, Murray again tweeted about his family, this time saying his great aunt and uncle were the victims of a horrific double homicide this week in the small town of Aberdeen, North Carolina, which sits a few miles from Pinehurst Resort.
According to a report from WRAL-TV in Raleigh, Mary Lou Black, 86, and D.P. Black, 91, were found dead at a home on Roseland Road on Friday.
was supposed to see my great aunt and great uncle who i adore so much at my grandmas funeral this week and now i will have to attend their funeral. i hope they catch the coward who did this to them. Rip Meme and DP i love you guys. https://t.co/L8WI7ub88c
— Grayson Murray (@GraysonMurray) July 10, 2021
According to county sheriff, Ronnie Fields, local authorities discovered the bodies while making a welfare check after the couple failed to pick up an employee.
Deputies found one person on the porch and one person inside the home.
“To go out and die like this, it’s a cowardly act,” Fields said. “The people that’s responsible, or person responsible, for this crime, they need to be brought to justice.”
Murray, who attended Wake Forest University, East Carolina University, and Arizona State University, has four professional wins, including one on the PGA Tour — the 2017 Barbasol Championship.