WiretoWire: Murray ends winless drought at Sony
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Murray ends winless drought with Waialae victory
Grayson Murray won the Sony Open in Hawaii with a birdie on the first playoff hole, beating Keegan Bradley and Byeong Hun An to claim his first PGA TOUR win since the 2017 Barbasol Championship. The victory guarantees Murray a spot in the remaining Signature Events, THE PLAYERS Championship, the Masters and the PGA Championship. The 30-year-old Murray was clutch in the closing moments at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaii. He stuck an 80-yard approach shot to within kick-in range for birdie on the 18th hole of regulation to make the playoff at 17-under. Then he buried a 39-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole to seal his second career PGA TOUR victory. It was an emotional triumph for Murray, who has battled anxiety, depression and alcoholism in recent years. The Sony Open in Hawaii was Murray’s first event since he regained his TOUR card via a spot in the top 30 on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List last season. He won twice on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2023. Murray earned 500 FedExCup points with the win, moving him to third in the standings behind Chris Kirk and An.
West Coast Swing starts at PGA WEST
Mahalo, Hawaii; hello, California! The 2024 PGA TOUR season returns to the continental United States with the second Full-Field Event of the season at The American Express, contested at PGA WEST in La Quinta, California. Justin Thomas, who missed the FedExCup Playoffs for the first time in his career, will make his PGA TOUR season debut here. Daniel Berger will make his first PGA TOUR start in 18 months. He hasn’t played since the 2022 U.S. Open because of back issues. Four top-10 players are in the field, including Scottie Scheffler (No. 1), Patrick Cantlay (No. 5) and Xander Schauffele (No. 6). The American Express will also mark the first start for numerous rookies and first-year members, including Min Woo Lee. Reigning U.S. Amateur champion Nick Dunlap will make his fourth career TOUR start. Competitors will play three courses – the PGA WEST Pete Dye Stadium Course, the La Quinta Country Club and the PGA WEST Nicklaus Tournament Course – before a cut is made Saturday night. The winner in California will take home 500 FedExCup points.
Video of the week
Chan Kim revisits golf center where he learned the game in Hawaii
Mic check
"When you get tired of fighting, let someone else fight for you." - Murray reflecting on his past struggles after his victory at the Sony Open.
By the numbers
2,367 - Murray won the Sony Open in Hawaii for his first PGA TOUR victory since the 2017 Barbasol Championship, a span of 2,367 days.
17 - Inadvertently, Joel Dahmen opened weekend tee times for 17 players at the Sony Open in Hawaii with a missed 5-footer on the final hole Friday to keep the cut line at 2-under.
3 - PGA TOUR rookies, who teed it up at the Sony Open in Hawaii to start their PGA TOUR season, were asked to describe themselves in three words or less. Read here to see what they had to say.
COMCAST BUSINESS TOUR TOP 10
| RANK | PLAYER | POINTS |
| 1 | Chris Kirk | 744 |
| 2 | Byeong Hun An | 570 |
| 3 | Grayson Murray | 500 |
| 4 | Sahith Theegala | 400 |
| T5 | J.T. Poston | 350 |
| T5 | Jordan Spieth | 350 |
| 7 | Brian Harman | 294 |
| 8 | Keegan Bradley | 261 |
| T9 | Sungjae Im | 250 |
| T9 | Collin Morikawa | 250 |
| T9 | Scottie Scheffler | 250 |
The Comcast Business TOUR Top 10 highlights and rewards the extraordinary level of play required to earn a spot in the TOP 10 at the conclusion of the FedExCup Regular Season as determined by the FedExCup standings. The competition recognizes and awards the most elite in golf.