The Players Championship is the biggest event on the PGA Tour. So seeing large crowds on Saturday and Sunday is the expectation at TPC Sawgrass. However, flashing blue lights and crime-scene tape cut through the calm of tournament week near Ponte Vedra Beach.

Early morning the PGA Tour announced that due to operational reasons, the gates will open at 9 AM instead of 7.30. Later, it was confirmed that a police investigation was underway at TPC Sawgrass after a murder suspect entered the venue on Friday night. Two people were killed in a fatal shooting at the Walgreens parking lot, barely a mile away from TPC Sawgrass. Sheriff Rob Hardwick, who is in charge of the investigation, confirmed that the suspect, Christian Barrios, 32, is out on parole.

“He is out of prison again on probation, committing another violent felony. Here we are dumping all these resources and families are gonna mourn two people that were shot and killed in a parking lot of Walgreens over domestic violence situation,” the sheriff said in an official statement.

The authorities said the suspect may also have contacted PGA Tour staff.  The suspect may also have touched some items, including a radio, before fleeing the scene.

A new update has emerged: While police initially said the suspect was on the loose, they have since captured Barrios. The suspect drove off in a dark-colored BMW around 4 A.M and reached Nassau County. Deputies tracked the stolen car there and, using a PIT maneuver, captured Barrios.

Per WJXT4, Barrios has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder, burglary, possession of a firearm by a felon, theft of a vehicle, and shooting into a conveyance. Caleb Yauger of the same outlet reported that the Tour officials worked closely with the police throughout the night. It also caused a delay in opening the gates for fans.  However, it didn’t push the tee times of players. The third round started at 8:15 a.m.

It’s not the first time criminal activity or accidents have intersected with the game of golf.

Past incidents of crime in and around golf

While the PGA Tour events have rarely seen such criminal acts take place on-site during an ongoing event, there are a few incidents that occurred nearby or at affiliated properties.

One such incident occurred in 2021 in Atlanta. Someone shot professional golfer Gene Siller, a truck owner, and another man at Pinetree Country Club. The suspect drove onto the course and got stuck in a sand trap. He then shot Siller near the 10th hole and fled on foot. After the investigation, the suspects were found in the truck bed.

Authorities said that the suspect didn’t target Siller. Instead, the suspect shot him because he witnessed the murder of the other two.

Then, a vehicle struck and killed a pedestrian at the 2024 PGA Championship a few years later. He was a 69-year-old security volunteer who lost his life when a shuttle bus hit him on Shelbyville Road near Valhalla. This event went down just hours before Scottie Scheffler’s arrest nearby. The two-time Players Championship winner recently spoke on the matter. 

In another incident, officials tasered a drunken fan at the Players Championship 2010. He was yelling at players near the 11th hole. Since he resisted arrest, the St. Johns County deputies tasered him during the event. Authorities charged him with disorderly intoxication.

Although rare, these incidents show that moments of violence can surface around golf events. Even when tournaments themselves remain tightly controlled, the nearby areas can become grounds for crimes, too. The ongoing investigation near TPC Sawgrass now adds another unsettling chapter to it.