5 things we learned Thursday from the 2023 John Deere Classic first round

July 7, 2023

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Grayson Murray hasn’t always had the easiest time on Tour. He’s struggled with his sobriety, gotten in spats with other players in meetings and was involved in a scooter accident last October that forced him to withdraw from an event in Bermuda.

On Thursday, Murray showed what he’s capable of on the course when things are going well off the course: the 29-year-old shot a 7-under 64 and sits two shots behind Blixt after 18 holes at TPC Deere Run.

“You know what, I’ve been playing really good on the Korn Ferry Tour and got a win about a month ago and a third place out there,” he said after his round. “I’m in a good position out there to lock up my card here soon, and I felt like coming out here with an opportunity to kind of double-dip, as you could say, and play a little more free knowing that my card is pretty much locked up out there.”

Murray’s been working hard off the course to make his life on the course a little easier. He’s filling his time with positivity and doing things he enjoys, like hitting the gym or catching a movie. Pro golfers have a lot of downtime, and not everyone prioritizes the right things when they first start their careers. Murray freely admits he’s one of those players.

“I’ve been out here a long time, and I kind of had a ‘coming to Jesus’ moment a little bit and said, ‘Hey, look, I have an opportunity here. I probably haven’t reached my prime yet,’” he said. “I can get on a good solid ten-year run, and that’s what I plan on doing. I’m in such a good spot right now where I don’t want to change anything I’m doing.”

“When things are in place off the course, you can tell a guy that has his mind in a good spot off the course by his game. It’s a tough lifestyle that some guys — that a lot of people don’t realize. You go through up and downs out here on Tour,” he explained. “I’m trying to make it where it’s not my life; it’s just kind of what I do and put things in perspective. I’ve got a good support team around me that’s encouraging me.”

Murray knows his accident in Bermuda is part of his story now, and he doesn’t hide from it. He’s still dealing with some physical effects, like a beat up knee and some unhealed scar tissue, but he looks healthy and is saying the right things, too. He’s made just two cuts on Tour in eight starts this season, but his Korn Ferry Tour success appears to have found its way to the big Tour this week.

“I think I take an approach out there like I’m the best. That’s what type of approach I want to take out here eventually,” he said of his differing thoughts when playing on the Korn Ferry compared to the PGA Tour. “You’ve got to see results out on the course before you can start having that confidence. You can’t just have it in you at all times, I feel like.”

“I think everyone kind of goes through some ups and downs with their confidence, but if you see the results and believe in yourself, then I think there’s no reason that I can’t step on the first tee and think that I’m the best player in the field, without a cocky way of saying it.”