Cameron Champ made a statement on Friday at the 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open, kicking off February in style at TPC Scottsdale.
During the second round of the tournament, Champ wore a black-and-white outfit of Nike clothes. He had a black shirt with white collar and trim, and he wore white pants. On his left foot, he wore a white shoe. On his right foot, he wore a black shoe.
Champ, who is biracial, chose to wear the outfit in commemoration of the start of Black History Month.
Cam Champ rocking one white shoe, one black shoe. pic.twitter.com/aD8v2ZSwHS
— Ryan Ballengee (@RyanBallengee) February 1, 2019
Champ's father, Jeff, is African-American and a remarkable athlete in his own right. He played for two seasons in the Baltimore Orioles organization in Major League Baseball. Lisa, Cameron's mom, is Caucasian, though she doesn't have professional sports on her resume.
The Golf Channel broadcast team made allusion to Champ's motivation, and it was a great way to call attention to the important African-American history we honor throughout February (and should honor every day).
The outfit called to mind the black-and-white pants Gary Player wore in the 1960 British Open Championship at St. Andrews in protest of apartheid in his native South Africa. Player called them "a quiet protest, of bringing white and black together."
Forty years later, Player wore a similar pair of pants in the 2000 British Open Championship at the Old Course.
