Another golfer who has overcome alcoholism wins on the PGA Tour

Also a former alcoholic like Chris Kirk - the owner of The Sentry Cup a week ago, Grayson Murray found his way back to the top of golf and won the 2023 Sony Open.

"Chris was successful after quitting drinking. So he was an inspiration to me to be more determined to quit drinking," Murray said after the third round of the Sony Open. At that time, he was ranked T1 with a score of -14, next to Keegan Bradley - who had won many cups on the PGA Tour, including the 2011 major PGA Championship.

This morning, January 15, Hanoi time, the Sony Open ended with the cup and 1.494 million USD belonging to Murray. He defeated Bradley and An Byeong Hun with a birdie on the second extra hole after all three scored -17 over four rounds of the Waialae par-70 course in Hawaii.

With this result, in just one week, the PGA Tour recorded Murray and Kirk returning to the podium after recovering from alcohol addiction.

Grayson Murray hits the ball from the 10th hole bunker during the final round of the Sony Open at Waialae Country Club, Hawaii on January 14. Photo: AFP — Grayson Murray hits the ball from the 10th hole bunker during the final round of the Sony Open at Waialae Country Club, Hawaii on January 14. Photo: *AFP*

Kirk took a break from the US premier golf tournament in May 2019 to quit drinking and treat depression, and succeeded after six months. After getting rid of the "god of alcohol", Kirk gradually regained his form, winning his fifth cup on the PGA Tour, at the Honda Classic in March 2023 and then The Sentry last week.

"Why do I like to get drunk? Because I'm an alcoholic and have always hated the PGA Tour life. This arena doesn't force me to drink but also never helps me when I need it. I've been on the tour for five years and every time I ask for support, I get nothing but the promise 'we'll respond'", Murray once shared his frustration when confessing on social network X.

Not long after, the PGA Tour facilitated Murray's entry into an alcohol rehab center.

At that time, Murray had only won once, at the 2017 Barbasol Championship, in his debut year. In the same year, 2017, he began to "become famous", when he announced that he would invite a Playboy model to be his personal caddie at the pre-Masters major exchange event. However, that did not happen, because Murray had not met the tournament's performance standards.

In the following years, Murray's image became worse through incidents such as firing his caddie in the middle of a round, having to apologize for insulting a high school girl on social media, throwing his putter and breaking an iron in half with a knee strike in the final round of the 2022 US Open major.

Four months after the club-breaking incident, Murray was involved in a traffic accident while traveling conscious on a scooter in Bermuda. The accident left him with serious injuries, requiring 50 stitches, including on half of his face. "I've been through a lot of trouble, but that incident woke me up and made me determined to change. When I first came on the PGA Tour, I thought I was unbeatable," Murray said at the recent Sony Open.

Since the beginning of 2023, Murray has been relegated to the second-placed Korn Ferry Tour. However, thanks to his "self-restraint" and diligent practice during his relegation, he has won twice and has returned to the PGA Tour since 2024, starting at the Sony Open and immediately winning the championship.

Four months ago, Murray even took a drastic step back from his career by taking a nine-day self-defense and fear management course with Tony Blauer, a trainer who works with the US Navy SEALs.

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