PGA Tour Set To Resume Schedule In June Without Fans
April 16, 2020
With additional time needed to ensure PGA TOUR tournaments are staged in the most safe and responsible manner possible given the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, the PGA TOUR is announcing further schedule modifications for the remainder of the 2019-20 season, as well as plans for the opening portion of the 2020-21 PGA TOUR Regular Season, the restart of the 2020 Korn Ferry Tour season and updates regarding the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada schedule.
“The health and safety of all associated with the PGA TOUR and our global community continues to be our No. 1 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. “Today’s announcement is another positive step for our fans and players as we look toward the future, but as we’ve stressed on several occasions, 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.”
The PGA TOUR had previously targeted the week of the Charles Schwab Challenge (May 18-24) as the restart of the TOUR season, which has been suspended since THE PLAYERS Championship was canceled on Thursday, March 12. For health and safety reasons due to COVID-19, today’s announcement delays that timeline three weeks – to June 8, starting with the Charles Schwab Challenge – with additional tournaments being repositioned between then and the season’s conclusion, which is the TOUR Championship, ending on Labor Day (September 7).
At this time, the TOUR plans to resume play with the first four events closed to the general public but will continue to monitor the situation and follow the recommendations of local and state authorities in order to determine the most appropriate on-site access in each market. As such, the TOUR will continually review available COVID-19-related protocols that could be implemented at PGA TOUR events to ensure the health and well-being for all involved.
All three events that were previously scheduled between May 18 and June 8 – the Charles Schwab Challenge, Rocket Mortgage Classic and the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide – have been moved to later dates in the calendar.
The RBC Heritage, originally slated for this week (April 13-19) but canceled on March 17, has been added back to the PGA TOUR schedule in the week formerly occupied by the U.S. Open, which – as previously announced – has been postponed to September.
The RBC Canadian Open, originally scheduled for the week of June 8, has been canceled. Click here for a statement from the RBC Canadian Open. The Barbasol Championship, originally scheduled for July 13-19 opposite The Open Championship, has been canceled. The Open Championship was canceled on April 6.
Three invitationals on the updated schedule, the Charles Schwab Challenge (120 players), RBC Heritage (132 players) and the Memorial Tournament (120 players), will see their respective field sizes increase to 144 to provide additional playing opportunities for PGA TOUR members.