Harry Higgs had a microphone and something important to say.
For many sports fans, Higgs is an unknown name.
But to devoted golf lovers, Higgs is a fan favorite trying to work his way back to the PGA Tour.
After the tragic death of PGA golfer Grayson Murray, Higgs made history with back-to-back tournament wins in a playoff on the Korn Ferry Tour.
With the consecutive victories, the 32-year-old Higgs became a near-lock to return to the PGA Tour in 2025.
But rather than wildly celebrate his win at the Visit Knoxville Open, Higgs used his moment in the spotlight to give a passionate speech about Murray and the importance of mental health.
“We lost, yesterday, one of our own,” Higgs said. “I don’t know if you guys heard the news, but somebody who went through a lot of difficult things, somebody that was open and honest about it.
“And I thought last night, I didn’t sleep worth a darn — and I’m really good at sleeping. I thought about this moment and how to maybe remember Grayson.
“I would challenge everybody here, and I’m going to do this myself as well, each day, is to say something nice to someone you love. And also make it a point to say something nice to somebody you do not even know.
“The world is a very difficult place. The world is difficult and only getting more difficult. So everybody here could be a difference. The difference. Brighten up somebody’s day, it could mean the world.”
Fans loved Higgs’ powerful message and thanked him for having the courage to speak out.
“What a lovely speech,” one fan tweeted.
“Absolutely,” a second fan posted.
“We are so quick to judge without putting on the other shoe,” a third fan wrote. “You never know what someone is going through.”
Murray’s parents urged people to “be kind to one another” as they revealed the American golfer took his own life.
The PGA Tour announced that the 30-year-old tragically passed away on Saturday, a day after withdrawing from the Charles Schwab Challenge in Texas.
Rickie Fowler and other golfers issued words of support after Murray’s passing.
“We have spent the last 24 hours trying to come to terms with the fact that our son is gone,” a statement from Murray’s parents read.
“It’s surreal that we not only have to admit it to ourselves, but that we also have to acknowledge it to the world. It’s a nightmare.
“We have so many questions that have no answers. But one. Was Grayson loved? The answer is yes. … He was loved and he will be missed.”
Higgs joined the PGA Tour in 2020.
He has six top-10 finishes and has made 57 cuts.
“This will mean the world to me as I think back on it,” Higgs after winning back-to-back Korn Ferry tournaments.
“But I will just remember the great people that I met here in Knoxville. So again, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. Let’s all try to put some good out in the world.”
The PGA Tour resumes this week with the RBC Canadian Open.
The US Open is June 13-16 at Pinehurst.
News Summary:
- ‘Say something nice’ – Golfer creates history before issuing emotional ‘challenge’ to honor the memory of Grayson Murray
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