PGA Tour star Brooks Koepka discussed the May killing of George Floyd ahead of this weekend's 3M Open in Blaine, Minnesota, calling it a "pathetic" act.

"Obviously, it was tragic," he said Tuesday, per Myron Medcalf of ESPN. "It's pathetic what happened. To see somebody's life to go and you watch it multiple, multiple times. It's tough. I get chills right now, just even thinking about it. What happened is uncalled for."

Floyd died in Minneapolis, about 20 miles away from where the 3M Open will be held, after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes while arresting him. That act was filmed and spread on the internet, serving as one impetus for the gatherings around the United States and the world in recent months to protest systemic racism and police brutality. 

Chauvin was fired and arrested on charges of second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. The other officers at the scene who did not intervene while Chauvin was kneeling on Floyd's neck—Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao—were also arrested and charged with aiding and abetting second-degree unintentional murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.

Koepka believes those protests and the ongoing dialogue about racism around the United States and the world has been a step in the right direction:

The 3M Open will be the first major sporting event held in the Minneapolis area since Floyd's killing, with the COVID-19 pandemic forcing the majority of sports in the United States to go on hiatus this spring. 

Koepka, 30, has had a tough season, with just one top-10 finish in nine events. He missed the cut at three different tournaments and finished 62nd at last weekend's Memorial Tournament. He has been dealing with a knee issue throughout the year, though said it felt better over the weekend.

"Sunday was the best my knee has felt in a really long time," he said. "It's not an excuse as to why I've been playing bad. I can tell you that."