Grayson Murray of Raleigh, ranked among the nation's top-20 junior golfers by Golfweek magazine, has committed to play for Wake Forest.
"I've wanted to go to Wake Forest since I was about 7 years old, but I knew I had to work hard on my game and continue to get better," said Murray, a sophomore at Leesville Road High who is ranked No. 2 in the nation in the Class of 2012 by Golfweek.
Murray, also ranked as the state's No. 1 junior by the Carolinas Golf Association, has the same instructor (Ted Kiegiel) as Webb Simpson, a former Wake Forest All-America now in his second season on the PGA Tour.
Murray, 16, said that one thing that steered him toward Wake Forest was meeting Arnold Palmer six years ago.
"Getting to meet Mr. Palmer is something you never forget," he said. "I kind of made up my mind already, but I just wanted to be sure, and after visiting last weekend, I told Coach (Jerry) Haas about my decision."
Murray, a die-hard North Carolina basketball fan, attended the Wake Forest-UNC game last weekend at Joel Coliseum but was not on a recruiting visiting. He decided on Wake Forest afterward.
"I'll have to wean myself off of being such a big fan of the Tar Heels, but that's OK," he said.
Murray won the Callaway Golf Junior World Championships for the third straight time in 2008. He went for four in a row last year -- which would have tied him with Tiger Woods -- but wound up fifth.
Murray, who started regularly shooting in the 70s when he was 9, won the Golfweek Junior Series by nine shots last October, shooting 68-68 at Pine Needles in Southern Pines.
Murray said he plans to stay in college four years and try to help the Deacons win a national championship, and then turn pro. When he committed, he said that Haas gave him an immediate goal.
"Coach Haas told me that Bill (Haas) has the school record for most wins with 10, so he told me to shoot for that," Murray said. "And that's what I plan on doing."
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