No anthem protest from US team, says captain Stricker

JERSEY CITY: The United States team at this week’s Presidents Cup will not protest during the national anthem, captain Steve Stricker said.

Speaking before the start of the biennial event against an International team, Stricker said his players will follow the usual protocol if they are present when the anthem is sung before the first match today.

“We’ve had a discussion already and none of my players want to do that (protest),” he said at a news conference at Liberty National, within sight of the Statue of Liberty.

“I just wanted to know what they wanted to do and how we wanted to proceed as a team.

“So we were going to do what we wanted to do and that’s take off our hat and put our hands across our chest and over our heart and respect the flag.”

In a gesture initiated last season by then-San Francisco 49ers quar- terback Colin Kaepernick, several NFL players have routinely “taken one knee” during the playing of the anthem.

It is intended to call attention to what the protesting players see as a pattern of racism in the treatment of African-Americans by US police.

The issue has been magnified since US president Donald Trump last Friday said any NFL player who protested during the anthem should be fired.

Trump on Tuesday called for the NFL to ban any player who knelt during the anthem.

The generally conservative world of professional golf has steered clear of the controversy.

“We talked about it on the bus today,” said Stricker, who added that he deferred to his 12 players.

“It was up to them ... We all realise there are some things going on in the world that aren’t right.” — Reuters