Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, July 30, 1990 TAG: 9007300048
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: From Associated Press reports
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The South African golfer said Sunday that he supports people who plan to demonstrate at next month's PGA Championship in Birmingham, Ala., to protest the host club's all-white status.
"If I was in those peoples' shoes I would also demonstrate," Player said. "That's the advantage of a free society; people are entitled to demonstrate."
Player, who now competes primarily on the seniors tour, won't play in the PGA Championship Aug. 9-12. But he said the decision to skip the event was made before the controversy started, and was the result of his desire to spend some time with his family.
The membership policy at Shoal Creek Country Club came under scrutiny last month when the club's founder, Hall Thompson, said there were no black members because "that's just not done in Birmingham."
Thompson later apologized for the remark, but the controversy has continued. Major sponsors have pulled their TV ads for the tournament, civil rights groups are planning protests and former PGA champion Lee Trevino says he may not play in Birmingham because of the controversy.
Player, who won the Seniors British Open on Sunday in Turnberry, Scotland, said Thompson's comments "have hurt a lot of people."
"I was bitterly disappointed at Mr. Hall Thompson's statements," Player said. "I just think that they were uncalled for. In this world today we don't have a choice; we've just got to look at each other and talk to each other."
Throughout his career, Player has been the target of protesters who wanted him to be more vocal about his opposition to apartheid in South Africa. Now, he and other pro golfers are being asked to comment on the all-white makeup of many clubs that play host to PGA Tour events.
A recent newspaper survey showed that at least 17 clubs that host PGA Tour events have no black members.
Deane Beman, commissioner of the PGA Tour, said his organization plans to "take a survey of all of the clubs involved in our events. I'm going to be proposing some guidelines that I think will ensure there will be no problems at PGA Tour events."
Beman, who finished second to Player in Sunday's tournament, emphasized that the PGA Tour has no control over the PGA Championship and said most of the clubs that play host to tour events do not have racially exclusive membership policies.
"We have 123 tournaments and I would guess there are not more than a dozen with any problems," Beman said.
No player has withdrawn from the PGA Championship because of Thompson's remarks, although Lee Trevino said he might not play because of the controversy.
Here are reactions from other pro golfers:
\ PAYNE STEWART: "I play golf for a living. It's a club policy that I didn't have anything to do with, so I don't feel it affects me. There's a tournament there and I'll be there to play."
\ DAN FORSMAN: "There is no place for racism in America today. But at the same time, I am conscious of all the hundreds of hours of work put in by a lot of people, volunteers and folks like that. . . . I'm going to play because I feel the efforts of so many people should be supported."
\ FUZZY ZOELLER: "I think our job is to go down there and play golf. I don't have anything to do with politics."
\ CALVIN PEETE (one of two black players on the PGA Tour): "I felt those statements [by Thompson] were directed not just at people in Birmingham, but all blacks in general. When you say something like, `The club is like our home and we invite whomever we want to our home. We have Japanese and Chinese but we don't have any blacks and we don't want any blacks,' . . . that's letting me know that they don't want me there."
\ CHIP BECK: "The PGA's a good organization. They don't discriminate. It's just a circumstantial thing. I'm sure they were embarrassed by what Thompson said. If the PGA discriminated, I wouldn't belong to it. But it doesn't."
\ ROGER MALTBIE: "I wouldn't consider withdrawing for a minute. I haven't heard anyone say they wouldn't play."
\ MIKE SULLIVAN: "I don't think people should use golf to make political statements. I don't think it has anything to do with the PGA of America. I think if you don't play, you're making a statement and you're only hurting yourself."
Keywords:
GOLF
by CNB