Golf

2024 PGA Tour: Davis Riley’s Charles Schwab Challenge Win Overshadowed by Grayson Murray’s Demise

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May 29, 2024 / 5357 Views

Evan Walker

Life’s uncertainties played out louder at the 2024 Charles Schwab Challenge — the impact far deeper than the applause for the champion, Davis Riley, on the 18th green of the Colonial Country Club on Sunday, May 26.

Riley’s five-shot win over World No 1 Scottie Scheffler and Keegan Bradley became a subplot amid the pain and grief that enveloped the weekend as the PGA Tour mourned the passing of two-time winner Grayson Murray on May 25.

2024 Charles Schwab Challenge: A Weekend Coloured by Tragedy

Not an easy world

After a strong start on Thursday, Murray had two holes left to play on Friday, May 24, when he withdrew citing illness. As one who fought mental illness and alcohol abuse, and had come out in the open about his battles during his second career win at the 2024 Sony Open in January, the reverberations of Murray’s suicide on Saturday were deep.

The PGA Tour wanted to suspend play, but Murray’s parents, Eric and Terry, asked that continuing with the tournament was what their son would have wanted. So, in accordance with the wish, the players teed off on Sunday wearing red/black ribbons, which symbolised Murray’s love for his NHL team, the Carolina Hurricanes, and matched the colours he wore while comPeting on Sundays.

Peter Malnati, who beat a long drought to win the Valspar Championship in March, echoed the sentiments of fellow players. “We get so worked up about a bad or good break here, we’re so competitive out here, we all want to beat each other but when something like this happens, you realise we’re all just humans,” he said while fighting off tears.

Riley too, received devastating news in the lead up to the Charles Schwab Challenge as he learnt that his older sister, Caroline, 28, had been diagnosed with a brain tumour.

Surgery had to be performed within 24 hours of the seizure she suffered while at work, and sitting in the interview room late on Sunday, May 16, Riley shared his fears, and how he almost did not tee-off for what turned out to be a life-changing week.

“When you have somebody that close to you, all the worst-case scenarios are going through your head. It was certainly a scary feeling thinking about how you could lose your sister. Thankfully, my parents were up there, she was around some amazing doctors, and they took good care of her. They removed the brain tumour, sent it off for a pathology report, and it came back non-cancerous, which was amazing, a big sigh of relief. Obviously hearing that news, I didn’t even know if I was going to be able to play this week, but my parents told me that my sister wanted me to go out there and play and compete and that meant the world to me.”

Doing what he loves

As one who never lost sight of the summit in the week gone by, comPeting hard is what drives Riley. And he never relented, even while having Scottie Scheffler breathing down his neck despite the four-shot cushion he carried into Sunday.

In fact, the prospect of playing Sunday’s leader group with Scheffler was a catalyst for the athlete in him. “He’s going to come out swinging, but I’m looking forward to the challenge,” was Riley’s prediction.

The forecast didn’t come true as the World No 1 stuttered to a one-over 71 at the refurbished Colonial, one of the most challenging layouts on Tour, but that was the space Riley needed on Sunday to set right a season that has seen a lot of missed cuts and not a single top-10.

After rounds of 66, 64, 66, Sunday was a demure 70 on the par-70 course, but etching a win on a turf as hollowed as the Colonial added glitter to Riley’s first individual trophy on Tour (his first win was a team effort with close friend Nick Hardy at the 2023 Zurich Classic of New Orleans).

“That plaque out there right beside 1 tee, seeing all the unreal golfers, Justin Rose, Adam Scott, Jordan Spieth, unreal golfers and just to etch my name along with those people is pretty special,” said Riley.

For one who came into the tournament with the odds stacked at +25000, to hold his own against Scheffler and six-time Tour winner Bradley, both of whom finished T2, was huge validation of the work put in.

The cheque worth USD 1.638 million surely goes a long way in allowing peace of mind, but the momentum is more endearing.

“This [win] helps a lot, catapulting me in the right direction, being in the field for the remaining two Signature Events (The Memorial and Travelers Championship, each worth USD 20 million) will be huge and hopefully I’m looking forward to those as good opportunities to make a push towards the (season-ending) Tour Championship. I’m over the moon and excited for the rest of the season,” he said.

On kinship and bonding

Grayson Murray’s shocking loss sparked talk on the Tour about reaching out to one’s nearest and dearest, and letting them know that they are loved.

Harry Higgs, whose win at the Korn Ferry Tour’s Visit Knox Open coincided with Riley’s triumph, spoke at length on spreading love through kind words, and Riley was at hand to acknowledge his bond with buddy Nick Hardy, who was by the 18th green as Riley signed off his career’s biggest week.

“We’ve got a special friendship and obviously having our maiden PGA Tour win together was certainly special. Nick is somebody I’ve known throughout my entire Golf career and he’s one of my best friends out here. We played the first two days together this week, and probably a big reason why I got off to a good start…We just love spending time with each other and it meant the world for me to have him hang around and congratulate me and it just shows how special of a dude he is,” said Riley.

Rare off-day for Scheffer

The 71 on Sunday was Scheffler’s first over-par round since the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational, where he finished T4. Finishing second best was a miss by his lofty standards, but in finishing T2, Scheffler notched a stat with his 11th top-10 result of the season, the most by any player in 2024.

There were no excuses from the World No 1, and Scheffler lavished praise where it was due.

“I had that tough first round, but I battled back nicely on Friday and Saturday. As far as today (Sunday) goes, I wasn’t able to put as much pressure as I would have hoped to put on Davis early in the round and he kind of cruised all day…He didn’t really give us much of an opening, just continued to cruise and played great Golf,” he said.

On a serious note, the inability to find the fairways, particularly on the front nine, hurt him. Scheffler claimed it wasn’t as if he was driving it poorly, rather the firmness of the fairways and the strong gusts made it tough to keep the ball in play.

Feeling in the groove

Keegan Bradley seems to be fast perfecting the craft of making a late charge over the weekends.

On a day when many of the big names shot over-par, Bradley’s 3-under 67 allowed him to make a charge and climb five spots.

“I feel like over the last few years I’ve been able to handle [competing] better. Years past I have kind of felt better making a charge from a little lower back, but now I enjoy getting up there. I kept telling myself to enjoy the time out there and enjoy the atmosphere and enjoy how tough it was…I’m really proud of the way I played, and I think that’s going to just get me ready for the next time that happens,” said Bradley.

By finishing T2, the 37-year-old notched his best result since the win at the 2023 Travelers Championship in June, and with two tough assignments up next, the Memorial and US Open, Bradley is certain after the tough run in the Florida leg, he is back playing the way he should.

(Main image: Sam Hodde/ Getty Images; Featured image: Charles Schwab Challenge)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Who won the 2024 Charles Schwab Challenge?

With a tournament total of 14-under 266, Davis Riley beat Keegan Bradley and Scottie Scheffler by five shots for his first individual win on the PGA Tour.

How much prize money did Davis Riley win at the Charles Schwab Challenge?

Davis Riley’s prize cheque was worth USD 1.638 million out of a total purse of USD 9.1 million. His other gains were 500 FedExCup points, entry to the PGA Tour’s remaining Signature events in 2024, and a climb from 250 to 78 on the Official World Golf Ranking.

What was the tragedy that struck the 2024 Charles Schwab Challenge?

Grayson Murray teed off at the Charles Schwab Challenge on Thursday, but withdrew towards the end of his round on Friday citing illness. The two-time PGA Tour winner committed suicide on Saturday after a long battle with mental health issues and alcohol abuse, plunging world golf into dismay.