PGA Tour observes moment of silence to honor work to end racial injustice

Jay Monahan

PGA Tour Commissioner observes a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m. local time in Fort Worth, Texas.

Getty Images

The PGA Tour started again Thursday morning. 

It stopped for one minute just under two hours in. 

The Tour observed a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m. local time in Fort Worth, Texas, to honor the work to end racial and social injustice in the country, the time recognizing how long George Floyd was pinned to the ground by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin before dying on Memorial Day. The 8:46 a.m. tee time was also kept open, and the 65 golfers on the course and others at the Charles Schwab Challenge came to a stop. 

“As the PGA Tour commits to amplifying the voices and efforts to end systemic issues of social and racial injustices, we have reserved the 8:46 tee time to pause for a moment of silence, prayer and reflection. Thank you,” PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said on the first tee at Colonial Country Club. 

Three air horns were then blasted, and play stopped. 

Players took off their hats and lowered their heads. Various officials near the 10th hole did the same. Monahan remained on the first hole and lowered his head. 

One minute later, three air horns were sounded again, and play continued. 

The tee time will be open all four rounds of the tournament. 

The gesture follows a letter that Monahan sent to players last week entitled “a time to communicate and search for answers,” and a video with Monahan and Harold Varner, one of the few black players on Tour, labeled “an open and thoughtful conversation.”

Jay Monahan
PGA Tour commissioner says golf needs ‘to grow out of this’
By: Nick Piastowski

In the weekend after Floyd’s death, Monahan said in the video he called “my black colleagues, my black friends, people who I thought I could really learn from.” He said he didn’t understand what the solution would be in the short term. He said he would start by listening. 

Monahan then relayed what he heard. 

“We had our team meeting first thing Monday morning, as we do every single day, and I said, ‘Listen, guys, as your leader, I’ve had a couple of sleepless nights here and I don’t have the answer here,’” Monahan said. “‘But as an organization, as we have been for a long period of time, we’re committed to diversity and inclusion and we’re committed to doing what’s right. And what has happened here is not right. And we are going to be a part of the solution. And let’s open up our discussion, let’s make certain we are listening to our players, let’s listen to our colleagues and let’s do this the right way.’”  

Golf Magazine

Subscribe To The Magazine

Subscribe
Nick Piastowski

Nick Piastowski

Golf.com Editor

Nick Piastowski is a Senior Editor at Golf.com and Golf Magazine. In his role, he is responsible for editing, writing and developing stories across the golf space. And when he’s not writing about ways to hit the golf ball farther and straighter, the Milwaukee native is probably playing the game, hitting the ball left, right and short, and drinking a cold beer to wash away his score. You can reach out to him about any of these topics — his stories, his game or his beers — at nick.piastowski@golf.com.