The European Tour has apologized to the Caddies Association for the "hurt and upset" caused following the sudden death of bagman Iain 'Mac' McGregor at the Madeira Islands Open on May 11, according to Tony Jimenez of REUTERS. The tour "has been criticized for continuing with the Madeira event after the 52-year-old Zimbabwean, caddying for Scotland's Alastair Forsyth, died of a heart attack during the final round." The tournament "was briefly halted but then resumed after discussions with players and bagmen." Tour CEO George O'Grady "traveled to this week's Spanish Open in Girona to hold talks with the Caddies Association" in a meeting that was also attended by Players Tournament Committee Chair Thomas Bjorn. O'Grady said in a statement on Saturday, "I completely understand the views of people who say we should not have carried on but it was a terrible situation for anyone to be in and the decision to finish the tournament was not taken lightly, either by myself or by the tournament officials on the ground" (REUTERS, 5/17). In London, James Corrigan wrote the European Tour Caddies Association "had planned to meet" the CEO at this week’s Spanish Open in Barcelona and O’Grady honored the date. At Thursday’s meeting, O’Grady "was not only hit by a barrage of criticism" by the ETCA committee, led by Chair Gerry Byrne, but also by Bjorn. Byrne revealed the depth of anger within the caddie shack, saying, "While we understand that decisions have to be made at very short notice, it will come as no surprise to anyone that all European Tour caddies felt the wrong one was made in Madeira" (TELEGRAPH, 5/17).
