To honour Grayson Murray, Harry Higgs makes plea: ‘Say something nice to somebody you do not even know’

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Harry Higgs has won the past two weeks on the Korn Ferry Tour. But he’s also won with his words during his victory speeches afterwards – for altogether different reasons.

Last week Higgs won the AdventHealth Championship in Overland Park, Kansas, only 20 minutes from where he grew up. He was fired up after holing a long wedge shot for eagle on the 72nd hole to get into the playoff, then won with birdie on the first sudden-death hole.

“I haven’t had a cocktail in a long time,” he said then, drink in hand. “I told myself I wasn’t gonna drink again until I won a golf tournament, so here we go.”

On Sunday at the Visit Knoxville Open, Higgs made five birdies on the first six holes to shoot 65, then topped Frankie Caplan III on the second hole of a playoff when he made a 37-footer for eagle.

Harry Higgs wins with eagle, becomes first to win consecutive Korn Ferry Tour events via playoffs

This time, however, the victory speech was much more sombre, as Higgs used most of his time with the microphone to pay tribute to Grayson Murray, who died on Saturday, just a day after withdrawing from the second round of the PGA Tour’s Charles Schwab Challenge. Murray’s parents released a statement a day later that said their son committed suicide.

“I kind of thought about this moment and how to maybe remember Grayson,” Higgs said. “This golf stuff and the result, it’s lovely, sure, but it’s not that meaningful.”

“One thing that I kind of thought of last night, especially laying in bed. I would challenge everybody here – and I’m going to do this myself as well – each day, say something nice to someone you love. And also, make it a point to say something nice to somebody you don’t even know.

“The world is difficult and only getting more difficult. Everybody here could be a difference, the difference. Brighten up somebody’s day, it could mean the world.”