PGA Tour Golfer Comes Under Fire from Media for Supporting 'Blue Lives Matter' During Tournament
PGA Tour golfer Richy Werenski was attacked online after he wore a pro-police wristband at a tournament in Minnesota over the weekend.
Werenski wore a “Blue Lives Matter” bracelet at the 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities course in Blaine, which is a few miles north of Minneapolis.
Golf Digest writer Joel Beall shared an image of the golfer’s bracelet and seemingly called him out for it.
“Playing 20 minutes away from where George Floyd was killed by police officers, Richy Werenski has been wearing a Blue Lives Matter band this week at the 3M Open,” Beall tweeted.
Playing 20 minutes away from where George Floyd was killed by police officers, Richy Werenski has been wearing a Blue Lives Matter band this week at the 3M Open pic.twitter.com/LGJ4mOGAqB
— Joel Beall (@JoelMBeall) July 26, 2020
Minneapolis is, of course, the city that spawned the country’s current racial and civil unrest. George Floyd, a black man, died while in police custody there May 25 after a police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
Sports leagues, including the NBA, the NFL and MLB, have signaled support for the Black Lives Matter movement and its anti-police political motives in the two months since Floyd’s death.
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan commented on the unrest two weeks after Floyd‘s death.
“For me, I spent last weekend calling around to my black colleagues and black friends, people that I thought that I could really learn from and I, at that time, I felt vulnerable,” he said June 5, according to USA Today.
“I didn’t understand in a world where people say, ‘If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem,'” Monahan said. “I didn’t understand what the solution was in the short term, but I was committed to make certain I was part of identifying it as supporting it. So for me, stepping back and trying to listen to those people that have been affected was the best place to start.”
Werenski, however, decided to quietly signal his support for law enforcement officers, who have spent two months entrenched in a campaign by leftist activists and much of the media to defund, prosecute or harm them for doing their jobs.
Although he has worn a “Blue Lives Matter” wristband since 2017, his decision to do only miles from downtown Minneapolis sparked a reaction on social media, with many challenging the 28-year-old Massachusetts native for supporting police officers.
CNN employee Mark Friedman criticized Weresnki in a post he later deleted. “Someone should inform PGA Tour player Richy Werenski that wearing a ‘blue lives matter’ wristband in a golf tournament in Minneapolis is tone deaf at the very least,” he wrote, according to USA Today.
Others had similar sentiments.
Do you guys think wearing a “Blue Lives Matter” bracelet…
in the final group of a PGA Tour event…
in the Twin Cities…
could be viewed as kind of tone deaf or no? https://t.co/c8tFOwTKvi— D.J. Piehowski (@DJPie) July 26, 2020
The PGA TOUR cannot be happy with what Richy Werenski is wearing today.
— Cart Path Only (@nocartsplease) July 26, 2020
Hope he 3 putts every hole for the rest of his life https://t.co/IvucBIrdmA
— Dillon Brady (@dillonhbrady) July 26, 2020
While detractors were critical of the golfer, he also found a great deal of support online.
Richy Werenski with the Blue Lives Matter bracelet and tied for lead on Sunday. Tough day for golf hating Marxist turds everywhere. Go Richy!
— Ewok Guy (@reggiesdiner) July 26, 2020
Richy Werenski has been wearing a Blue Lives Matter wristband all week at the 3M Open. I’m rooting for him to win. I’m sick and tired of this nonsense about Police. I’m always thankful & grateful for our incredible LEO’s. pic.twitter.com/PBBKKa9NeK
— Skye Luque ?? (@LuqueMeatSauce) July 26, 2020
Good for This Patriotic Golfer! https://t.co/GrLW9y863O
— Larry Klayman (@LarryEKlayman) July 27, 2020
What a douche this guy Joel is!! He couldn’t put that Werenski was wearing that band since 2017 in his first tweet with the close up pic?? We see what you tried here Joel! Typical media BS trying to add fuel to the fire! Take the damn knee Joel!
— Deplorable John ?? (@jfabrazzosr) July 27, 2020
Werenksi has yet to comment on the controversy surrounding his wristband choice.
Final scores @3MOpen:
1. Michael Thompson, -19 ?
2. @ALongShot, -17
3. Robby Shelton, -16
3. Charles Howell III, -16
3. @GrilloEmiliano, -16
3. Alex Noren, -16
3. @TonyFinauGolf, -16
3. @MaxHoma23, -16
3. @CamTringale, -16
3. @WerenskiR, -16More: https://t.co/xYdhELrcLf pic.twitter.com/HffDODkbrh
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 26, 2020
Apparently, he was unfazed by the criticism: Werenski tied for third place at the 3M Tournament, matching the best finish of his career.
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