Golfers to wear black ribbons in honour of Phil Hughes

Players at the 2014 Emirates Australian Open will be offered black armbands to wear during their seconds rounds in honour of the late cricketer Phil Hughes.

As the horrible news pf Hughes’ passing became known, the atmosphere at The Australian Golf Club today suddenly became very sombre. The media tent was left stunned with few able to speak, many of the journalists nearby having covered cricket in Australia for many years.

Members of the galleries were also left stunned and you could see a noticeable effect on the golfers with Adam Scott quoted after his round as saying:

“It is sad, it’s tragic. It’s such an unlucky thing to happen. You’ve just got to think of his family and all his team mates, they must be hurting right now.

“I’ve had tons of tough days on the course, nothing on the course matters when things like that happen. It’s just the way life is, unfortunately, it’s not fair.”

The tragic circumstances of Hughes’ passing has resonated across Australia’s sporting communities and as a mark of respect, golfers will wear the armbands out of respect for Hughes.

The Australian Open website reports:

Championship director Trevor Herden said it was a sign of solidarity in the sporting community as the nation grieves the loss of one of its top professional sportsmen.

“Not just as athletes, but as a community, the loss hit hard today and we feel it’s the right thing to do to show our tournament and the players are right behind the Hughes family and the cricket community,” Herden said.

“It’s the best way we can show our respect at this time.”

We’re in disbelief. RIP Phil Hughes.