"Jesus Christ is first and foremost," says PGA tour champion Grayson Murray in a live national TV interview, sharing how he got there.
The Sony Open took place in Honolulu, Hawaii, on January 14. Murray took the victory in the Open after sinking a 40-foot birdie putt.
"It's not easy," says Murray. "I wanted to give up a lot of times. Give up on myself, give up on the game of golf, and give up on life at times."
Murray went on to share how he's battled alcoholism and what finally set him free of the addiction eight months ago.
“Jesus Christ is first and foremost.”
— Sports Spectrum (@Sports_Spectrum) January 15, 2024
— Golfer Grayson Murray giving all glory to God after an incredible victory on Sunday at the @SonyOpenHawaii.pic.twitter.com/3r5ijpzUig
"Without Him (Jesus), none of this would be possible. He's given me a platform to write a new story. I hope everyone at home watching can get a little inspiration from me. If I just help one person, it's all it takes."
According to CBN News, Murray told the PGA about his drinking history and how bad it had gotten. Murray went to a treatment facility in 2022 in Minnesota, however, the treatment didn't stick. That fall right after Murray played the Butterfield Bermuda Championship he drove his scooter right into traffic.
"I should have died," Murray told PGATour.com. "If I didn't have my helmet on, I probably would have died. It should have been my rock bottom, but I had to keep going. I felt like I was still invincible."
In April of 2023, the 30-year-old was playing a tournament in Mexico in the midst of doing a lot of drinking. While he played a decent golf game, he promptly went into a four-day anxiety attack that left him wanting to die.
"I'm a different man now. I would not be in this position right now today if I didn't put that drink down eight months ago."
As for this latest win this past weekend, Murray told the TV interviewer what it meant to him.
"I knew today was not going to change my life. My fiance changed my life, Jesus Christ changed my life, so while today didn't change my life it did change my career a little bit."