By Joel Beall
The PGA Tour announced on Tuesday that it will be honouring the memory of George Floyd.

The tour will be having a daily moment of silence for Floyd, whose death at the hands of police brutality has sparked protests around the globe, at 8:46 a.m. each day this week at both Colonial C.C. (site of the tour’s Charles Schwab Challenge) and TPC Sawgrass (home to a Korn Ferry Tour event).

“As the PGA Tour commits to amplifying the voices and efforts underway to end systemic issues of racial and social injustices impacting our country, we have reserved the 8:46 a.m. tee time at the Charles Schwab Challenge to pay our respects to the memory of George Floyd,” the tour said in a statement.

“We will pause at 8:46 a.m. during each round for a moment of silence, prayer and reflection.”

According to the tour, the one-minute moment of silence will begin with three horn blasts coordinated through tour rules officials. Players on site will be asked to pause for reflection as a demonstration of support for the tour’s commitment to addressing racial and social injustices.

The post PGA Tour to honour George Floyd with moment of silence appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

My pledge is to do the same. I’m proud to work for a company, Discovery, that faded to black for eight minutes and 46 seconds—the same amount of time a former police officer kneeled on George Floyd’s neck—across all 19 of its U.S. brands on Tuesday night. But I’m also well aware that we need to keep the conversation going if we are ever to promote real change. Whether its peaceful protests, donating money or having serious conversations, let’s all try to do better. And with that, let’s try to talk about some golf.

WE’RE BUYING

Mic’d up players: The European Tour announced its restart will begin with a six-tournament UK Swing beginning July 22. Also beginning then will be a new policy in which players in featured TV groups will be mic’d up. “It really comes down to how open you are, how creative you are and how your players want to embrace change,” Euro tour chief executive Keith Pelley told BBC Sport. “This is the time for us to do some things completely differently.” Couldn’t agree more. Well done. Just please make sure to put a mic on Eddie Pepperell at all times.

Annika Sorenstam: Arguably the GOAT of the women’s game, Sorenstam stepped up by pledging $50,000 to struggling Symetra Tour players. Well done. The 10-time major champ was also named as a U.S. Women’s Open ambassador for the 75th anniversary of the tournament, which was to be played this week, but will take place in December instead. Oh yeah, she also was this week’s guest on the Golf Digest Podcast, where I enjoyed talking to her about her career and pickleball. Please have a listen:

PGA Tour University: The tour unveiled a new program that will reward the top college golfers (in their fourth or fifth years) by guaranteeing the top five ranked players status on the Korn Ferry Tour for the remainder of the season once the college season ends. This will give young golfers a better chance of playing their way onto the PGA Tour or Korn Ferry Tour for the following season. It also incentivizes staying in school, which will make parents everywhere happy. And speaking of college golf. . .

The Wake Forest team bus: Yes, I’m a Wake alum, but even the most objective observer would say this bad boy is sweet:

New week, new month, NEW VAN ?#GoDeacs pic.twitter.com/wHwc03q7JU

— Wake Forest Men's Golf (@WakeMGolf) June 1, 2020

Imagine going on a golf trip in that thing? Hmm. . . My golf trip is in Pinehurst this August and the college golf season will be on a break. . . Guys, did I mention I went to Wake?

WE’RE SELLING

Vijay Singh’s WD: It turns out, the three-time major champ and fourth all-time money earner in PGA Tour history won’t play in a Korn Ferry Tour event after all. Good. But we’re not giving Singh much credit for having a change of heart, because it appears he would not have gotten a spot in the field by the time the tournament started. In any event, the 57-year-old will not be taking someone else’s spot on the PGA Tour’s developmental circuit.

Cancelled John Deere Classic: The PGA Tour restart will sadly not include this major of the Midwest, informally known as the Steve Stricker, Zach Johnson and friends Invitational. It’s too bad it won’t be played this year, but it’s also understandable. In the meantime, the tour is looking to replace the event by holding back-to-back tournaments at Muirfield Village with the Memorial scheduled for the week after. We’re guessing golfers won’t be too upset about spending two week’s at Jack’s place considering that golf course—and those glorious-looking milkshakes.

Rory’s Peloton prowess: McIlroy’s cycling reputation took a bit of a hit when he finished fourth out of eight in ESPN’s first Peloton Pro-Athlete All-Star Race. And while getting dusted by an Olympic medal-winning swimmer (Matt Grevers) is nothing to be ashamed of, McIlroy got beat by former NFL player and former Monday Night Football analyst Booger McFarland. “Since I can’t beat Rory McIlroy on the golf course,” Booger said before the race, “my one goal for today is to prove that golfers aren’t athletes.” While we wouldn’t go that far, it wasn’t a great showing by our guys.

Bubba Watson was sixth and Justin Thomas finished in last place. JT! Pick up the pace! You’re a young man! Props to Morgan Pressel, though, for finishing second on the women’s side. See? Golfers are athletes!

ON TAP

CBS will air the final round of the 2012 Memorial on Sunday. Unfortunately, I missed the end because I was boarding a flight back from a wedding in New Orleans after drinking a few too many hurricanes, but that was a good one. Two words: Flop shot. Sorry, four words: Tiger Woods flop shot.

My word.

Random tournament fact: This will be the last weekend (hopefully) without live golf for a while. Thank goodness.

RANDOM PROP BETS OF THE WEEK

—I would survive drinking that many hurricanes now: 1 MILLION-to-1 odds
—Michael Jordan/Steph Curry will be play in the next The Match: 2-to-3 odds
—Larry David would be a more entertaining choice: LOCK

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Two golfers broke 70 on Streamsong Black—and lost by a combined 19 shots to European Tour pro Sam Horsefield, who shot 59 on the par 73:

A 59 to brighten your Sundays, courtesy of @hr59sam ? pic.twitter.com/jfanDCkUrw

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) May 31, 2020

These guys are good. Hey, if the European Tour is looking for a new motto while it revamps, that one is available.

THIS WEEK IN TOUR PRO PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION SOLIDARITY

Perhaps more than any other time ever, pro golfers spoke out about social injustice amid national protests following the tragic killing of George Floyd. Players like Tiger Woods and Harold Varner III released statements:

pic.twitter.com/Wn7EoTInzU

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) June 2, 2020

There is a lot of of beauty and love in this world. I pray for equality & social justice as we all so desperately deserve that in this day and age. I pray for humanity even more because regardless of color, WE need each other to make that change. Stay safe. Love you guys ??? pic.twitter.com/LrFEff94IF

— Harold Varner III (@HV3_Golf) June 1, 2020

And others like Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, and Justin Thomas joined the social media #BlackoutTuesday campaign:

As awful as these recent events have been, it’s nice to see the game’s stars taking a stance and spreading awareness. Let’s hope they keep it up.

THIS WEEK IN CELEBRITY GOLFERS

Congrats to Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt on making his first-ever hole-in-one. I guess. Kidding. Sort of.

Finally happened today…my first ACE!!!!

Shady Canyon Golf Club
17th 145 yd PW pic.twitter.com/K6cSxyJIyb

— Joel Klatt (@joelklatt) May 27, 2020

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“I don’t know the avenue to fix this. But I do know that calling someone an idiot, saying they’re stupid, making fun of them for their belief or their vision or how they feel, that’s mean. That’s it. It’s so simple. That’s just mean. So don’t be mean. Think, maybe take a step back. Process, empathize, do something to at least see their—and if you don’t agree, don’t agree, go away. I literally think I leaned 75 percent of all this in pre-school. Treat people the way you want to be treated. If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say it.” —Max Homa. Well said.

I’m a 29 year old white dude who has played golf his entire life and knows nearly nothing about what it feels like to be oppressed, discriminated against, or unsafe. So I spoke on what I do know and that’s being a nice and respectful person. pic.twitter.com/CEHKscIlEQ

— max homa (@maxhoma23) June 1, 2020

THIS AND THAT

Sahith Theegala, who won the Fred Haskins Award as the nation’s top collegiate golfer last month, fired a 62 in his first round as a pro—on the Outlaw Tour. Not exactly how other past POYs like Tiger and Phil started their pro careers, but 2020 is not exactly your normal year, either. . . . Speaking of 62s, Tiger Woods moved up from No. 11 to No. 8 in Forbes’ annual highest-paid athletes list with earnings of $62.3 million. Of course, when you’ve been ranked No. 1 a dozen(!) times, this isn’t all that exciting. . . . And finally, it’s been a tough couple months, but I recently got a nice pick-me-up when my favourite artist gave a shout-out to my daughter, who I have already trained well when it comes to music.

Awwwww !! https://t.co/lqHhDSpeen

— benjamin folds (@BenFolds) May 24, 2020

Thanks, Ben. You’re the GOAT.

RANDOM QUESTIONS TO PONDER

Why isn’t Ben Folds more famous?
What would Tiger’s career earnings be on the Outlaw Tour?
What would Tiger say about my golf swing?

The post PGA Tour pros speak out, Rory McIlroy’s cycling rep stalls, and Tiger takes on the role of swing coach appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Now is not the time for golf to look the other way.

By Jerry Tarde
In these troubled times of protest against racism and injustice, too many golfers look the other way. That’s the illusion of golf at the top: Country clubs and pro tours create an artificial world where the grass is always green and the lunch buffet is free of charge. Even the highways that lead to these courses run out of sight from poverty. Golfers go from home to club with nothing in between. It’s hard to see the real world from the players-only dining room.

That’s why tragedies like these emerge from nowhere when we should have seen them coming. One golfing president’s brother, Bobby Kennedy, said it best on the night Martin Luther King Jr. was killed: “The vast majority of white people and the vast majority of black people in this country want to live together,” he said, “want to improve the quality of our life, and want justice for all human beings who abide in our land. Let us dedicate ourselves to what the Greeks wrote so many years ago: to tame the savageness of man and make gentle the life of this world.” Almost every major city in America rioted that night in 1968, but not Indianapolis—where Bobby Kennedy spoke.

Golf is still on this journey in 2020, from exclusion to inclusion. “The Greatest Game of All” has had a slow start, but it’s going in the right direction. There are more minority members accepted in clubs, more programs like The First Tee that benefit inner-city kids, more charitable support to combat poverty. But events of the last few months—the pain of a pandemic and the violence of injustice falling heavily on black and brown people—show decidedly that we need to accelerate golf’s journey of understanding.

There are no muny polo fields. Certain games are so rooted in the privileged class that they have a limited future. They’re hobbies of the rich. But we do have muny golf courses—ours is a game of the people. It began that way in Scotland with shepherds and greenkeepers. Even now, 79 percent of American golf is played at public-access courses, not elite clubs. There’s hope for golf’s future.

Like America, the sport has a painful past. It was just 60 years ago that the PGA of America restricted membership to “Caucasians only.” Thirty years ago, we endured another shame when an Alabama golf club hosting the PGA Championship admitted “we don’t discriminate in any other area except the blacks.” Pro tours and country clubs opened up after those scandals; progress proved more elusive. There are fewer black pros on the PGA Tour today than in the 1970s due to unintended consequences: the decline of caddies, which had been a feeder system, and the growth of other major sports that proved more attractive for minority athletes.

What’s being protested in the streets today is more serious than tee times, but golf is a part of the underlying economic inequality at issue. Here’s our pledge:

—We at Golf Digest will commit to making the images and subjects of our golf content as well as our staff better reflect the diversity of the world around us. Both the game’s population and our own record here have been inadequate.

—We will continue to advocate for more access and affordability.

—We will increase our coverage of municipal golf—the lifeblood for attracting minority participation.

—We will support the golf industry’s collective efforts through The First Tee, in which 48 percent of participants represent minorities.

—We will promote sustainability in all its forms, because we know the ravages of climate change hit the poor and minorities the hardest.

—And we golfers promise to use our voice and influence to make gentle the life of this world.

The post Our pledge during troubled times appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Maurice Allen
Editor’s Note: Following the national and global protests in wake of the killing of George Floyd, Long Drive champion Maurice Allen reached out to Golf Digest asking for a platform to speak. Here are Allen’s words on his experience as an African-American man in golf. —Joel Beall

I am a golfer, just like you. But I’ve been the person on the side of the road, pulled over with a gun to my head for something I didn’t do. I’m guessing that is what makes us different.

But you don’t want to hear about that, right? We’re here to talk about golf. So let me tell you what it’s like being black in a white sport.

In my part of the game, the long-drive arena, we’re supposed to be flashy, to be entertainers. Except white long drivers are praised for being colourful and flamboyant, while I’m called a showboat. Well, “showboat” is putting it nicely. Just yesterday I received hate mail, accusing me of race-mingling, calling me “Django,” that I’m as worthless as our previous president, “Obama Bin Laden.” That’s just from, ahem, “fans.”

Often I’m the only black man in a competition. That puts me in spots and places I don’t want to be. I’ve had competitors and their families straight-up rain n-words and racial slurs on me without remorse. Last year a rival’s father went on social media saying I had been arrested, that I was a criminal. I have never spent a night in jail, so I fired back, “Show me the mugshot and I’ll quit on the spot.” And guess what? My sponsors are mad at me for trying to defend my honour. Did my rival receive any backlash for the racist conduct of his father? You already know the answer.

I wear my blackness with pride, the same way an Alabama or LSU fan cheers on their team. That rubs people the wrong way. Like, I’m a nice story to tell— “Hey, an African-American in our sport, look how good we are doing!”—unless I’m the one telling it. Case in point: A few years back, I was in a televised event, and they had interviews with each contestant. When I was asked what drove me, I repeated what I repeat to myself every day: “I am the prayers of slaves who worked in the field, to know that people have been beaten, raped and killed for me to have this opportunity that they knew they’d never get for themselves.” I’m the only one whose intro didn’t make its way on air. I get it. Too many confuse being pro-black as anti-white.

Lisa Lake

I understand some want to help the racial inequality that permeates golf. Or, at least they tell me they do. Let me tell you how it works. I get invited to do a talk at a conference or participate in some type of roundtable about diversity in the sport. After I’m done, people get emotional, come up to me and say thank you, and promise me they’re going to help. They talk a great talk. And then, a week later, my phone calls are going unanswered. Or there’s red tape. Or, “You know, we want to help, but now’s not a great time.” Then the same people ask me back the next year to the same conference or show. I’ve realized they don’t care about a cause; they want to check a box. But I still go, hoping my words will reach someone new in the audience.

That’s what breaks my heart about golf. It’s supposed to be a game of integrity. I’ve found it to be anything but. I’m not talking about it being elitist. I’m talking about its entitlement. To me, that word means something different. Because when you’re entitled, you have a responsibility to use that privilege in a meaningful way. Instead, golf acts as a club. It’s often hard to get in, or it makes excuses for the errors of those in the club. We have given so many excuses for foolishness that you delay change. You’re not dealing with the actual situation. If we have a problem, we have to address it.

I live in the South. I can’t tell you how many times I pull into course parking lots to see cars littered with confederate flags. And every time, I’ll ask, “Hey, what is this?” And the defences never fail. “Oh come on, it’s not what you think it means,” or “Don’t worry, he’s really a good guy.” There’s no accountability or the slightest amount of empathy of how it makes me feel.

That accountability goes to the leaders in golf as well. I was owed a performance bonus from my 2018 season from a sponsor. A few weeks ago, I demanded it get paid. The response I received was, “Are you in an OK financial position? If not, we can move some things around for you.” They then acted like things were tight at the company, telling me, “You’re not the victim here.” Save for the fact I know three of my competitors all received their bonuses from just last year. Anytime I have to defend myself to get what’s mine, I’m seen, as a black man, of being difficult or hard to work with. As a black man, you’ve been taught to conform since the day you leave the womb. If you break that unspoken law, there are consequences.

Just last week, on Memorial Day, I made a post saying I was going to memorize and memorialize all that have lost their lives who weren’t wearing military fatigues, fighting this never-ending battle for racial justice in America. If you look at the comments on the feed, it’s the usual “You’re disrespecting the flag” or accusing me playing the race card. That crap, well, I expect. What I didn’t expect was one of the ruling bodies of golf to call me THREE TIMES asking me to take the post down. I am scheduled to do an event with them, and they found the post polarizing. This is an organization that’s, allegedly, trying to grow the game. It is systematic, man.

A lot of times “Who” is the biggest problem we face in America. We can’t be on the leading front. If Colin Kaepernick had been J.J. Watt or Ben Roethlisberger, people would have listened. But Colin isn’t white. I’ve experienced it. I have a foundation that helps grade school children build saving accounts, called “Saving Christmas.” Another endeavour is trying to raise $40,000 to fund the professional aspirations of two golfers who come from HBCUs that don’t have the sponsors or country club patronage that most white players have. Earlier this year at a meeting with a major golf company, pleading for financial help, I was asked, “So, what is in it for you?” Well, I’m not a middle-schooler and I sure as hell ain’t 20 anymore. I’m just trying to help, but even that I have to do with my hands tied around my back.

Do I think what we’re seeing is going to change things? No. The only difference now is people are pent-up from the coronavirus pandemic, and looking to unleash that frustration. I hope I’m wrong, but I fear in two weeks everyone will be back to Tik-Toking while another black man is murdered for no good reason. I mean, we said the exact same things when Trayvon Martin was killed. That was eight years ago. Think about all the lives lost since that could have been stopped if we really were committed to making things right.

The past week has made me take stock of things. I’ve had an amazing run. But amazing isn’t up and down, it’s not linear. I have to take that. But I fight for growth and professionalism. My brother has always talked about immortality. He’s not referring to cryopreservation or living like a vampire. It’s about, when we leave this world, will people still remember what we’ve done. And I will continue down the line. I won’t, and my people won’t, be forgotten.

But I, we, need your help. If you’re reading this, it means we’re connected by golf. You may be wondering what you can do. We are vastly underrepresented. There are more of us than Tiger Woods and Harold Varner III. The participation rate of blacks in golf hasn’t changed since Tiger has come on the scene. That might not be your fault, but whatever you’re doing isn’t helping, either.

Golf is supposed to be an accountable sport. You hit a bad shot, that’s on you. You break a rule, you call it on yourself. Stop making excuses or guessing someone’s intention. Start using that same accountability you apply to golf to racism, sexism and injustice. Ask your club what they are doing to recruit minorities. Call out your buddy making racial jokes on the course. Educate yourself on black foundations that aren’t just The First Tee. And, maybe, we might get to the other side.

Maurice Allen became the first African-American to win the World Long Drive championship in 2018 and holds the Guinness World Record for highest golf ball speed.

The post Being black in a white sport appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Daniel Rapaport
Tiger Woods became the latest prominent sports figure to weigh in on the killing of George Floyd and the protests that have followed. On Monday night, the 15-time major champion posted the following statement on his Twitter account.

“My heart goes out to George Floyd, his loved ones and all of us who are hurting right now,” Woods wrote. “I have always had the utmost respect for our law enforcement. They train so diligently to understand how, when and where to use force. This shocking tragedy clearly crossed that line. I remember the LA riots and learned that education is the best path forward. We can make our points without burning the very neighbourhoods that we live in. I hope that through constructive, honest conversations, we can build a safer, unified society.”

pic.twitter.com/Wn7EoTInzU

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) June 2, 2020

Woods, at 44 still the biggest star in golf, grew up in the Anaheim area of Southern California and was 16 when protestors took to the Los Angeles streets in 1992. Those riots were in response to the acquittal of police officers who were accused of using excessive force on Rodney King.

The killing of Floyd, which was caught on video and shows officer Derek Chauvin putting his knee on Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes, has led to widespread protests across the nation that have devolved in some cities into looting, arson and property destruction.

Woods became the first African-American golfer to win a major championship with his victory at the Masters in 1997. Woods’ father, Earl, was a decorated member of the Army Special Forces and Woods has frequently spoken about his admiration for the military.

While Woods has been reluctant to comment on social or political issues during his career, he has channelled much of his off-course energy into his TGR Foundation, which provides STEM curriculum and college-access programs to underserved children, and recently passed the milestone of reaching 1 million children.

The post Tiger Woods issues statement on death of George Floyd, national protests appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Joel Beall
Following a weekend of national and global protests in wake of the death of George Floyd while in police custody, some prominent figures and authorities in golf spoke on Monday asking for understanding and justice.

The most prominent statement came from Harold Varner III. One of the few African American players on the PGA Tour, Varner released a letter preaching support for the oppressed while also asking for peace.

“I know how hard it is to build something. I know it, man,” Varner wrote on social media. “Seeing justice for George Floyd turn into destruction and theft of businesses owned by African Americans, Caucasians, Hispanics and all other ethnicities is disgusting. I will always be behind all African Americans who are subjected to racism. I will also be behind other ethnicities in the same way. But I will never support an aggressive reaction, especially against those who have poured everything into opening this restaurant or that shop.”

There is a lot of of beauty and love in this world. I pray for equality & social justice as we all so desperately deserve that in this day and age. I pray for humanity even more because regardless of color, WE need each other to make that change. Stay safe. Love you guys ??? pic.twitter.com/LrFEff94IF

— Harold Varner III (@HV3_Golf) June 1, 2020

The LPGA released a statement saying “We have more work to do and the resolve to do it.”

pic.twitter.com/bKL0GcOM9Z

— LPGA (@LPGA) June 1, 2020

Other players lent their support with their own words or aggregating quotes that speak to unity. Below is a sampling of those voices. (This post will be updated throughout the upcoming days.)

I’m a 29 year old white dude who has played golf his entire life and knows nearly nothing about what it feels like to be oppressed, discriminated against, or unsafe. So I spoke on what I do know and that’s being a nice and respectful person. pic.twitter.com/CEHKscIlEQ

— max homa (@maxhoma23) June 1, 2020

The @LPGA stands for equality. We will always stand up against racism and injustice of any kind. I may never understand how you feel, but I stand with you. ?? pic.twitter.com/s9b0AywR3l

— Jane Park (@TheJanePark) June 1, 2020

Black lives matter. I would want my American friends I met at U of I and across America to not be treated any different because of the color of their skin. As a president please unite your people now and give them solutions.

— Thomas Pieters (@Thomas_Pieters) June 1, 2020

“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”
Nelson Mandela.

— Jon Rahm Rodriguez (@JonRahmpga) May 31, 2020

pic.twitter.com/opLMI2aRO2

— GARY PLAYER (@garyplayer) June 1, 2020

Absolutely this. Have been a proud member of the @LPGA for 25 years and love what we stand for. https://t.co/3uFw3HP2wV

— Karrie Webb AO (@Karrie_Webb) June 1, 2020

https://www.instagram.com/p/CA4BhHpD10A/?utm_source=ig_embed

The post Golf world speaks out on George Floyd protests appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Christopher Powers
The killing of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis last week, and the national protests that followed, have led many of the biggest stars from the NBA, NHL, NFL and MLB to use their platform to speak out against police brutality. One notable PGA Tour pro joined them on Monday.

Harold Varner III, in his fifth season on tour and one of three African-Americans (along with Tiger Woods and Cameron Champ) inside the top 200 on the Official World Golf Ranking, wrote a two-page statement that he shared via social media. The 29-year-old explained that he didn’t say something sooner not out of indifference, but because he wanted to first gather his thoughts before writing them down.

What Varner eventually wrote turned out to be an eloquent and passionate letter that addressed Floyd’s death and the rioting and looting that has occurred across the nation afterward. Varner’s statement, which he posted to his Twitter and Instagram accounts, can be read in full below:

To whoever wants to listen, I have so much that I want to say. Matter of fact, I’ve received more messages than ever before, mostly from people who wanted me to speak up immediately because of who I am. I AM BLACK. But it’s not helpful to anyone when impulsive, passionate reaction takes precedence over clear-minded thought. Yes, I’m angry. But I needed the time to put pen to paper and give y’all a proper message. So let’s go.

Here’s the obvious: George Floyd should still be alive. Absolutely. No doubt. End of story. This was a senseless killing—a murder—and, to me, it was evil incarnate.

There are objective truths in life. I think that’s one of them. But life is more nuanced than just a simple statement, and if there’s one thing that is emblematic of today’s society, I think it’s that we constrict ourselves to single-minded thought. It’s easy to do. But that ain’t life. You can be against a cop savagely killing a man and also have the perspective to say that burning businesses and police stations is wrong. You may say one is more or less severe than the other, but there again we must allow ourselves to go beyond this one-or-the-other mentality. Otherwise, we get stuck. We lose direction. Sadly, I think the media exacerbate the situation—with whatever motives they have—by implicating one side of a complex story. I will never denounce an entire race or group based off of a singular incident. I cannot justify that. Yes, the cop acted in the most horrific of ways. No, not all cops are like that. Yes, people are rightly angry. No, we don’t need to loot to make our point. In my heart, I know we’re a good country filled with good people. It’s time we start recognizing that.

Look, I grew up in Gastonia, N.C. I had nothing. No nice clothes, no lights, and, hell, sometimes no buck-fifty to eat lunch in high school. I bought my first pair of jeans when I was in college. And you know what? The people who pushed me to succeed were old white and black men at my local muni. They were the ones helping me with clothes, bills, and food. The white guys aren’t racist, and the black guys aren’t either. I would call myself lucky, but that’d be undermining everything I believe. I’m not insensitive to reality. I’m realistic about the innate good I see in people.

I know how hard it is to build something. I know it, man. Seeing justice for George Floyd turn into destruction and theft of businesses owned by African Americans, Caucasians, Hispanics, and all other ethnicities is disgusting. I will always be behind all African Americans who are subjected to racism. I will also be behind other ethnicities in the same way. But I will never support an aggressive reaction, especially against those who have poured everything into opening this restaurant or that shop.

Sometimes life is not simple and things don’t make sense. How can we call ourselves the greatest country on earth when our standards fall to senseless killing? That’s a tough an important question. But I still proudly say we aren’t as fractured as it seems.

I see good people. I pray alongside them for George Floyd and his family. And I also pray for our unity. We’re strong. We can go beyond the trap of one-dimensional thinking. Once we do, our eyes will see the righteous, our hearts will feel the love, and we’ll have done more to honour all those subjected to evil and its vile nature.

In his post on Twitter, Varner also added that “there is a lot of beauty and love in this world. I pray for equality and social justice as we all so desperately deserve that in this day and age. I pray for humanity even more because regardless of colour, WE need each other to make that change. Stay safe. Love you guys.”

The post Harold Varner III writes letter on killing of George Floyd, calls for unity and social justice appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.