PGA Tour: John Deere Classic is latest victim of new restrictions

The John Deere Classic is the latest PGA Tour victim of coronavirus restrictions

While the majority of the news regarding the PGA Tour returning to action has been good, there has been one big exception. It was announced last week that the John Deere Classic would be forced to cancel its tournament this year, marking the first setback for the tour as it plans its return next week.

The Deere, which was scheduled to be played July 9-12, was canceled because of the restrictions in place in the state of Illinois due to the coronavirus. Governor J.B. Pritzker has extended the state’s restrictions on gatherings of people of 50 or more through the summer.

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Those restrictions made things very hard on the people putting on the Deere, which takes place in Silvis, Illinois. The Deere was scheduled to be the first tournament on the PGA Tour this season to allow fans. However, with the state’s restrictions, there was just no feasible way to make it happen.

So, why not play the event without fans? Great idea, except that, without the fans, there is no John Deere Classic. The financial support of the fans, in addition to the sponsorship from John Deere, is what makes this tournament go. Without the fans, there’s just no way for a small tournament like the John Deere Classic to happen.

This is hopefully a one-time problem that the tour will face

The current pandemic is like nothing that anyone on tour, or virtually anyone still alive, has ever faced. The fact that one tournament had to be canceled due to restrictions is not a back breaker. However, it does leave a hole in the middle of a condensed PGA Tour schedule.

The bigger question remains with the rest of the tour schedule. There are events scheduled to take place in states where significant restrictions still remain. The prime example of that would be the PGA Championship, which is scheduled for August 6-9 at Harding Park in San Francisco. At this time, California could not have fans at this event, due to the policies that are currently in place.

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Of course, that event is scheduled for two months from now, and things could be much different by the time August gets here. The virus could be diminishing, and the restrictions could be reduced, or even lifted, depending on the situation.

The PGA Tour is hopeful that the Deere will be the only victim of these restrictions. They will produce with cautious optimism and hope that there are no other changes to the modified schedule.

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