PGA Tour to honour George Floyd with minute’s silence as US circuit tees off again

Players hail officials’ decision to mark memory of black American who died in police custody

World No 1 Rory McIlroy looks on during a practice round ahead of the Charles Schwab Challenge which tees off on Thursday at Colonial Country Club in Texas. Picture: Tom Pennington/Getty Images

It will be later in the day before Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka, the top three players in the world, step on to the tee at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, but 8:46am local time will be equally significant as the Charles Schwab Challenge marks the PGA Tour’s return today in Texas.

In honour of George Floyd, who prosecutors claim was knelt on for eight minutes and 46 seconds by police, killing him in the process, in Minneapolis last month, prompting widespread civil unrest, the 8:46am tee time in the first round has been left open by PGA Tour officials.

There will be a one-minute silence in memory of Floyd, and the players on and off the course have been asked to “pause for reflection as a demonstration of support for the tour’s commitment to addressing racial and social injustices”.

World No 3 Koepka said: “I think it’s awesome that the PGA Tour has stepped up. Being one of the first sports back, it’s important to set the tone going forward for other sports and for just people in general. 8:46, I think it’s going to be special. I don’t know that the PGA Tour has ever really done something like this. Not while I’ve been playing. I think it’s special with what’s going on right now. There needs to be change, and I want to be part of the solution, and I think this is one way that the PGA Tour is stepping up and doing that.”

Concurring, McIlroy, the world No 1, described the decision to honour Floyd as a “wonderful gesture” and added of the events around the world following his death: “A great word that I’ve sort of been thinking of over the last couple of weeks is tolerance. I think everyone can just be a little more tolerant, and a little more educated and not as ignorant.

“There’s never been a place in society for what has went on in the world over the past how many hundreds of years. The fact that it does seem to be this real will to change and have reform is amazing. It’s been a great thing to see, and I hope it continues to be in the conversation. I think people have learned a lot over the last few weeks, and hopefully we’ll see things change as time goes on.”

Recalling how Tiger Woods had been his “hero” growing up back in Northern Ireland, McIlroy said: “Tiger doesn’t look the same as me, has had a very different upbringing to the one that I have had. But it didn’t matter what colour his skin was, what his beliefs were. Tiger was my hero, and he’s been a lot of kids’ hero over the years that have grown up playing golf. We’ve been very lucky to have him in our game.”

Due to be in opposite teams, Koepka and McIlroy are on the same page about this year’s Ryder Cup, scheduled to be held at Whistling Straits in September, believing it should not go ahead if fans are shut out due to Covid-19 restrictions.

“The Ryder Cup is a true sporting event. It’s different than any other golf tournament we play,” said Koepka. “I love to play for my country, but it’s important to have the fans there.”

Asked if he could see someone not playing as a protest if it did go ahead without spectators, he replied: “Yeah”. Could it be him? “Possibly,” he added. McIlroy said of hearing that: “I am pretty sure they won’t carry on without spectators, so I don’t think I will be put in a position to make that choice. ”

McIlroy, who was in a rich vein of form earlier in the season, is hoping he can take up where he left off back in March. “I’ve played a lot more than I practised because I want to hit the ground running,” he said. “My game is as sharp as it can be coming in here, though the first couple of days will be the real test.”

Koepka, who was sidelined for 14 weeks with a knee injury before returning in Abu Dhabi in January, reckons the enforced break due to the 
Covid-19 pandemic did him a favour. “I got lucky. It was definitely beneficial for me,” he said. “The knee is back. It’s a lot better. It’s been a blessing in disguise for me without a doubt, and I’m excited to see what happens here.

“I felt at The Players, it was starting to come around. I felt something positive. But right now it’s a million times better. The swing feels like it’s in a great spot. I feel like a new person, honestly. The way I’m able to move right now is a lot better than I was three months ago, four months ago, and I’m excited. It really is going to be fun to tee it up again.”

Russell Knox, due out among the early starters before that mark of honour for Floyd, is in a European contingent that also includes Open champion Shane Lowry, Dundee-based Frenchman Victor Perez and 2016 Olympic gold medallist Justin Rose.

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