Sports are coming: PGA Tour expected to return in summer
By Matt Dolloff, 985TheSportsHub.com
Real, actual sports are coming. According to a new report from Golf Digest, the PGA Tour is expected to announce that it will return June 11-14 with the Charles Schwab Challenge.
Read further down for the tour’s reported tentative schedule, which includes a combination of rescheduled tournaments and events expected to take place on their original dates.
Spectators will not be allowed to attend the tournament at Colonial Country Club in Forth Worth, Texas, as the tour looks to resume while maintaining recommended safety guidelines regarding hygiene and social distancing amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
Despite any concerns about public gatherings, the country is also battling an economic crisis as the novel coronavirus wreaks havoc on the American workforce. The sporting world has been ground to a halt, as the idea of thousands of fans gathering in a single place for any kind of event still seems far off. But it’s also given rise to leagues coming up with solutions to return to actual competition while minimizing the health risks.
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA – MARCH 13: A general view of the 17th green after the cancellation of the The PLAYERS Championship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
It appears that golf will be the first sport to come back – assuming Dana White won’t get his wish with a May return for the UFC. Golf should be the kind of athletic competition that players can partake in while maintaining safe, healthy distances from each other. Same goes for any essential crews who show up to the course.
In Texas, anyone traveling there from a number of locations in the U.S. is required to self-quarantine for 14 days upon arrival. The state has also shut down a number of non-essential businesses. Sounds like the PGA Tour is going to find a way around the restrictions.
PGA Tour: New 2020 Schedule
June 25-28: Travelers Championship
July 2-5: Rocket Mortgage Classic
July 9-12: John Deere Classic
July 16-19: Memorial Tournament
July 23-26: 3M Open
July 30-August 2: WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational
July 30-Aug. 2: Barracuda Championship
Aug. 6-9: PGA Championship
Aug. 13-16: Wyndham Championship
Aug. 20-23: The Northern Trust
Aug. 27-30: BMW Championship
Sept. 3-7: Tour Championship
Sept. 17-20: U.S. Open
Sept. 25-27: Ryder Cup
Nov. 12-15: The Masters
(Source: Golf Digest)
FORT WORTH, TEXAS – MAY 23: A general view of a flag during the first round of the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club on May 23, 2019 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Unfortunately, June 11 still means the sporting universe could still be facing another two months or more without live events. Unless you count WWE in Florida. The PGA Tour has already cancelled the Open Championship and postponed the Masters, U.S. Open, and PGA Championship. But there’s at least some daylight here for pro sports as the country hunkers down and starves for fresh content.
Fans are famished at this point and the hunger for sports won’t be getting better. So it’s time for the skeptics to brush up on their golf rules and terminology because that may be all we have for a while.
Matt Dolloff is a digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff or email him at matthew.dolloff@bbgi.com.
