Son’s death prompts golfer David Feherty’s plea to help addicts

The family of golfer David Feherty has appealed to people to reach out to those suffering with addiction after the death of his son Shey from an overdose on his 29th birthday.

The funeral took place yesterday in Dallas, Texas, the base of the former Irish Ryder Cup player who is now a leading golf commentator in the United States.

Shey died on Saturday, when the family said in an online tribute that his “earthly light was extinguished and his heavenly light was born to shine forevermore.”

Described as their beautiful and charismatic son and brother, the family said his “beautiful blue eyes could captivate a room, but they could not stare down the enemy that lurked in the shadows and prevent it from reaching out to grab him in his darkest time”.

“Shey fought hard to win his battles with drug addiction and mental illness, but in the end the monsters won,” the family wrote.

The family’s worry watching him struggle with addiction has been replaced by a feeling of loss, and they hope that sharing his story will touch others battling addiction, or their lvoed ones.

“Please know there is no shame in asking for help. Our Shey is gone from us now, but you can help us keep his light shining and focused if you reach out to another who suffers,” the family said.

David Feherty is a native of Bangor, Co Down, and led Ireland to 1990 victory in the Dunhill Cup, the year before his only Ryder Cup appearance for Europe.

His later career has been as a US commentator, currently hosting his own show on NBC’s Golf Channel.

He has spoken publicly about his own battles with alcohol and drug addiction in the past.

Shey was the older of two sons of David and Caroline DeWit Feherty, and David married his current wife Anita in the mid-1990s.