Harold Varner III and Justin Rose both fired seven-under-par 63s to share the lead as the US PGA Tour returned to action for the first time in three months due to the COVID-19 pandemic at the Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth on Thursday.
Englishman Justin Rose showed no signs of rust after the long layoff as he waltzed through a bogey-free round in the morning at the spectator-free Charles Schwab Challenge. Four players, including world number four Justin Thomas, were locked in a tie for third at six under.
World number one Rory McIlroy had an unremarkable round to finish two-under and tied for 39th. Rose says as players, they have been trying their best to prepare for the return to the golf course.
“I think everyone is in the same boat, you know obviously I think everyone has been trying to do their best to prepare and we’re certainly all coming in rested, that’s for sure, but no one quite knows where their tournament game is and I think for me we’re delighted for the way it kicked into gear today, especially short game, putting some of the stuff that is hard to practice without some pressure and I think for me the key was getting off to a good start, although my game wasn’t great the first few holes,” says Rose.
It was a solemn scene as golfers and caddies stood with their heads bowed during a time slot selected to reflect how long, 8 minutes and 46 seconds, the police officer’s knee was on George Floyd’s neck. Varner, who is among only a handful of black players on the tour, appreciated the gesture.
“8:46, I literally have no clue, I think I was watching ‘the first 48’, but when I got to the gym it was on TV, and I just couldn’t hear but I could see that they were just, man, I don’t really know what they were thinking on the golf course, but it was just crazy what they did, I thought it was pretty cool,” says Verner III.
In support of the Black Lives Matter movement, former National Football League wide receiver, Terrell Owens, marched in Los Angeles on Thursday, calling on the League to apologise to quarterback Colin Kaepernick for refusing to support his kneeling protests.
The NFL has been locked in an on-going debate with players over kneeling during the customary pre-game playing of the national anthem. Kaepernick who was the first to take a knee in 2016, to protest racial injustice and police brutality, hasn’t played for the past four years.
“I’ll continue to sit, I’m going to continue to stand with the people that are being oppressed, to me this is something that has to change and when there’s significant change and I feel like that flag represents what it’s supposed to represent and this country is representing people the way that it’s supposed to, I’ll stand,” says Kaepermick.
Spanish League returns to the pitch
In football, Spain’s La Liga is the second major league to return in Europe, following the resumption of German’s Bundesliga last month. The first La Liga match in three months saw Sevilla taking on Real Betis. The Julen Lopetegui-led Sevilla registered a 2-0 victory.
The match was played behind closed doors and Lopetegui praised his players’ mentality in trying circumstances.
“We just have to adapt to this new normal. So, if we have to play behind closed doors, I can tell you that the intensity still is the same for my players,” says Lopetegui.
In Motorsport, a looping course starting and ending in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, was revealed as the route for the 2021 Dakar Rally.
The race, which will run from the 3rd to the 15th of January next year, will be the 43rd edition and the second to be held in the Middle East after this year’s edition.
