Share

PGA Tour set to resume in June, but without fans

The PGA Tour on Thursday announced plans to resume in June, with the first four tournaments being closed to spectators due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The tour suspended its season after the first round of the Players Championship last month, previously targeting a return on 21 May.

The extended suspension means that the Canadian Open and the Barbasol Championship have been cancelled.

The postponed Charles Schwab Challenge, which tees off on 11 June in Fort Worth, Texas, is scheduled to be the first event after the resumption.

"The health and safety of all associated with the PGA Tour and our global community continues to be our number one priority, and our hope is to play a role - responsibly - in the world's return to enjoying the things we love," said PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan.

He added: "We will resume competition only when, working closely with our tournaments, partners and communities, it is considered safe to do so under the guidance of the leading public health authorities."

There are now 14 events listed for the 2019-20 PGA Tour season.

Former PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas said he is in favour of the plan.

"I love that the PGA Tour put something out there," Thomas said. "If it happens or not is an unknown since everyone's safety remains a top priority. But to have them put the effort to show us a plan is great."

In addition to the Charles Schwab Challenge, the tournaments scheduled to be held without fans are the RBC Heritage (June 18-21) in Hilton Head, South Carolina; the Travelers Championship (25-28 June) in Cromwell, Connecticut; and the Rocket Mortgage Classic (2-5 July) in Detroit.

The only major championship left on the 2019-20 calendar is the PGA Championship from 6-9 August in San Francisco.

Under the current plan, the FedEx Cup playoffs for the 2019-20 season will wrap up with the 4-7 September Tour Championship in Atlanta.

As part of their return, the PGA wants to ramp up testing.

"We see changes and developments being made in the world of testing, available tests," said Andy Pazder, the PGA Tour's chief tournament and competitions officer. "We're following very closely through the assistance of our expert medical advisers the development of more large-scale testing capabilities.

"We obviously are aware that the FDA recently approved use of a saliva-based test. It gives us confidence that we will be able to develop a strong testing protocol that will mitigate risk as much as we possibly can."

Some sort of testing should be in place by the time the Canadian Open organizers are ready to hold their event in 2021.

"The RBC Canadian Open has always been a rallying point for Canadian golf and while we share in the crushing disappointment with our fans, players, volunteers and many event partners, our primary responsibility is the safety of our people and our communities," said Golf Canada chief executive Laurence Applebaum.

"It is now our full intention to push forward together with RBC, the PGA TOUR, the City of Toronto and our host clubs with the goal to bring the 2021 RBC Canadian Open to St George's Golf and Country Club with Islington Golf Club as the official practice facility."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
loading... Live
Sekhukhune United FC 0
Cape Town Spurs FC 0
loading... Live
Lamontville Golden Arrows 1
Royal AM 1
loading... Live
Sheffield United 0
Burnley 1
loading... Live
Luton Town 0
Brentford 1
loading... Live
Bulls 0
Munster 0
loading... Live
Benetton 36
Dragons 19
loading... Live
Lions 30
Leinster 12
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
33% - 1819 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1781 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1084 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 461 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 187 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
5% - 254 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE