With one swing met with silence, the PGA Tour got back to business Thursday at the Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas.
Ryan Palmer felt more nerves than usual when he stood over his first tee shot in the Charles Schwab Challenge — the first official shot on the PGA Tour in 90 days. Even more bizarre was making a 10-foot birdie putt on the second hole with no one around to cheer.
The closest thing to a crowd was a few people who watched from behind hedges and a chain fence from a nearby street.
Phil Mickelson made one birdie and instinctively squeezed the bill of his cap to acknowledge a crowd that wasn’t there. Justin Thomas, playing in the afternoon, made birdie on the second hole and mockingly raised his putter in celebration.
Palmer seemed to speak for everyone when he said, “It was just great to be out there playing.”
WATCH | PGA Tour observes a minute of silence for George Floyd:
The PGA Tour and Commissioner Jay Monahan paid respect to Floyd, who authorities say was pinned to the ground by a white police officer for 8 minutes and 46 seconds before he died. 2:14
Golf is the second major sport in the U.S., behind motor sports, to resume a schedule shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the safety measures are coronavirus tests for every player, caddie and essential personnel. Of the 487 tests at Colonial, the results were all negative.
“We’re all taking risks playing golf, obviously,” Palmer said. “Being back out here, everybody leaves the club, they’re going out to dinner and doing things, so everybody is taking that risk to be here. Everybody is pretty confident that we’re going to all be safe. I think everything has been done the right way.”
Some of the golf was pretty good, too.
Rose storms to early lead
Justin Rose, a winner at Colonial two years ago, opened with seven birdies in 12 holes before settling into a series of par for a 63 and the early lead. Tom Lehman even got in on the act at age 61, opening with a 65.
Dustin Johnson struggled to a 71.
But it was more about the scenery than the scores, and it was eerie.
Palmer was selected to hit the opening shot as a Colonial member who has raised money for pandemic relief through his “Pros for a Purpose” campaign. It was difficult to hear the starter announce his name from 40 feet away, not because the starter was wearing a mask but because the only other noise was the hum of a nearby generator.
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan watched from the starter’s booth — a rarity for him to be on the first tee of any opening round — and gave Palmer, Brian Harman and Bill Haas a thumbs-up as they walked off the tee.
Moment of silence for George Floyd
Monahan returned to the tee for the 8:46 a.m. starting time with no players’ names listed on the tee sheet. The tour kept that time open as a tribute to George Floyd, who was handcuffed while a white police officer pressed his knee to the back of the Black man’s neck. Floyd died after pleading for air, sparking worldwide outrage over racial injustice.
Everyone at Colonial — on the course, on the practice range — stopped for a moment of silence on a course that already was quiet without spectators.
That’s what stood out — no crowd, no grandstands, no tents, the typical structures that define a golf course. Harman said he had to back off a few putts because he was distracted by the sound of someone teeing off a few holes away.
“It felt strange, to be honest, just getting on the first tee and having your name called and not having anyone around to say anything,” Jhonattan Vegas said after his 64. “It felt like, ‘Hey, what’s going on here?’ It’s something we’re going to have to get used to for a little while…. We definitely miss the fans.”
They will be gone for the opening five tournaments as the tour takes a conservative return to golf, hopeful of no setbacks in the sport from a spike in the new coronavirus.
Monahan, asked Thursday morning what would constitute a successful tournament, said, “Getting to next week.”
For one round, and likely the rest of the week considering the bubble the tour has tried to create, it was a first step.
“I think just being out here is successful, to be honest with you, getting started,” Palmer said. “I don’t see anything holding us back. I think today was the biggest day, just getting this first day off. People are going to watch golf back home and be interested to watch it tomorrow, and that’s a great thing.”
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
