As most people know by now, a recent coronavirus outbreak has quickly spread around the world, prompting communities to close businesses until further notice in an effort to slow its impact. Temporarily closing business and preventing large gatherings has proven to be one of the most effective ways of preventing its continued spread.
One of the industries that have been largely halted due to the coronavirus is the sports industry. Because most professional sports events tend to draw large crowds, most sports leagues have indefinitely suspended their seasons and will continue to evaluate the situation. In response, the PGA Tour paused the 2019-2020 season and announced several adjustments to the schedule for the remainder of the year. Here are some of the biggest takeaways from the PGA Tour’s amended schedule for the 2020 year.
Masters Tournament
One of the biggest impacts that the PGA Tour has seen so far is the rescheduling of the Masters Tournament. Originally scheduled to be played in April, it was announced that the Masters is now set to be played from November 12th – November 17th. While other tournaments have been canceled or rescheduled since the coronavirus, the Masters Tournament has a large impact on the PGA Tour’s ranking system each year.
Tournament Cancellations & Reschedules
Given that the Masters Tournament was rescheduled in response to the coronavirus pandemic, it is not surprising that several other PGA Tour tournaments have been rescheduled or canceled altogether. For example, the RBC Canadian Open, originally scheduled for June, and the Barbasol Championship, originally scheduled in July, have both canceled their 2020 tournaments. Additionally, several tournaments scheduled for the spring and early summer have pushed their tournaments further back in the summer months. This has been done to help ensure that it is safe for both the players and the greater community.
No Fans At Tournaments
Because of the increased risk that comes with large gatherings, the PGA Tour found that it would not be safe to restart the season with fans in attendance. In response, the first four tournaments back will be played without any fans present. This not only protects the players and staff involved in the tournament but helps them get a better understanding of how they can best protect fans when they are allowed to return.
To learn more about how the PGA Tour schedule has been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, visit the PGA Tour amended schedule announcement.