FORT WORTH, Texas – The moment did not last long, but was very strong and poignant.
The players with tee time at 8:40 am in Thursday’s opening round of the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club hit their tee shots amid relative silence and quietly went to their respective streets.
When 8:46 approached, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan stepped onto the first tee, stood in front of the camera, and said: “When the PGA Tour is committed to strengthening the voice and efforts to end the systemic problems of racial and social injustice, we have taken tee 8 time: 46 to pause, silence, pray and reflect. “
With that, three horns were heard, signaling a pause around the golf course in recognition of George Floyd’s tragedy and the illuminated light on racism and social injustice.
That time symbolizes 8 minutes and 46 seconds former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on the neck of Floyd, an unarmed black man who died while in custody after telling officers that he could not breathe.
PGA Tour Commissioner, Jay Monahan, bowed his head during a moment of silence for George Floyd.Getty Images
Most of the cast and caddy stood with their heads bowed.
“I pray,” said Tom Lehman, a native of Minnesota. “I think everyone chooses to do things their own way. I only pray for our country. I pray for George’s family. I pray for his soul. I only pray that the chaos we experience can wisely be moved forward so that decisions are made that are actually meaningful and beneficial.
“[There’s so much to say about that [Floyd incident and its aftermath]”Lehman continued.” But what I’m going to say is this: I think everyone needs to feel deeply what happened and be deeply hurt because of what happened to George Floyd. I think everyone needs to understand that when you completely ignore suffering or other people’s pain or death that you cause to others, if you don’t respect that, you are part of the problem and you need to get [bleep] together. “That might be the thing I took from him – LL]and just understand that we are all human beings and need to care for one another. If you can’t do that, then I feel sorry for you. ’
Justin Rose, who leads the tournament at 7-under, calls it “a very personal moment to reflect on your life, how you live your life, how you live your life and how inclusive you are in your own life with everyone you come across. “
“I think everything that is happening right now in the world, there must be opportunities, and a clear momentum being created now, that’s what I contemplate – really how vast this has become,” Rose said. “This has become much bigger than the U.S., which is good to see.”
Before the tournament began, the players universally praised the idea of the PGA Tour in the hope that it would add to the talk about mistakes in the country.
“It’s important to set the tone,” Brooks Koepka said.
