Champ's shoes and words make big statement

First, with his shoes and then with powerful words about a desire to find a solution to racial injustice.

Champ is one of four players of black heritage on the PGA Tour, and one of only two – the other is Tiger Woods – who reached the second of three events in the FedExCup post-season.

He arrived at Olympia Fields wearing a white shoe on his right foot and a black shoe on his left.

On the right shoe were the words "Jacob Blake" and "BLM" for the Blake Lives Matter movement, in the wake of Blake being shot seven times in the back by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, about 150km to the north of Olympia Fields.

Until equality in our country means everyone is treated with the same level of dignity & respect & afforded the same level of opportunity, freedom & justice in all things as human beings, we will never be able to truly live up to our ideals or reach our full potential as a nation pic.twitter.com/AIGjpGWEHQ

— Cameron Champ (@Cameron__Champ) August 28, 2020

On his sneakers is "Papa Champ," his grandfather who died late last year.

Champ's grandfather was black, as is his father, Jeff, who briefly played minor league baseball.

"When people say all lives matter, yes, all lives matter, but so do black lives," Champ said, who also had the words "Breonna Taylor" and "BLM" written on his right shoe during his first round.

"It's a situation where, again, as a country, as a whole we've kind of dug ourselves a hole.

"People are starting to talk about it, which is the good thing. Without dialogue, without talking about it, nothing is going to happen.

"It's a decent start, but obviously there's still a lot of stuff going on that quite frankly should not be happening at all.

"It just has to end."

The PGA Tour released a statement before the round began that it supported the "player-led, peaceful, powerful ways" the other leagues – NBA, MLB, MLS WNBA and women's tennis – sought to bring about change.

"The PGA Tour supports them – and any of our own members – standing up for issues they believe in," the statement said.

However, postponing the BMW Championship, even for a day, did not appear to be part of the conversation.

"I feel like I can do a lot more playing, and again, showing my support and expressing myself," Champ said, when asked about possibly not playing this week.

Woods said he was in touch with PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan on whether to play on Thursday.

"Obviously, there was talk about it because of what happened," Woods said.

"But we're all on board, on the same page."