DUBLIN, Ohio — Grayson Murray, who died by suicide on May 25, will keep his Official World Golf Ranking until after the Travelers Championship on June 23, a source told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Grayson was at No. 61 in the world this week, and given the rolling two-year formula, he may climb back into the top 60 briefly.
Murray’s ranking matters because the OWGR will be used again Sunday for the top 60 players not already exempt for next week’s U.S. Open. One of those spots will go to Robert MacIntyre, who went from No. 76 to No. 39 by winning the Canadian Open.
There is a mathematical chance Murray would move back into the top 60, though it is unlikely with so many players right behind him who are at the Memorial.
The OWGR officially said it is “currently discussing how this delicate item could be managed.”
According to an email from the USGA as it relates to that exemption category, Murray would be removed from the OWGR list used to determine the top 60, an indication that it would go to No. 61 if that player isn’t already in the field.
There’s precedent for keeping a golfer in the rankings following a sudden death; Payne Stewart died in a plane crash on Oct. 25, 1999, when he was No. 8 in the world, and remained ranked for an additional three weeks before his name was removed.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.