PGA Tour: Memorial set to be first tournament with fans
By Tim Letcher
While the PGA Tour will return this week, it may not seem like real golf until there are fans. That will happen at the Memorial in July
The PGA Tour is set to begin this week at Colonial with the Charles Schwab Challenge, the first event on the tour since the Players Championship was canceled in March. However, some people think the tour won’t “really” start until July, when fans are allowed to return at the Memorial.
What had been hoped for all along came to fruition on Friday when Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine approved a plan by the Memorial that would allow fans to attend the event, which will be held July 16-19 at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio.
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In a tweet, the Memorial’s official account said “It’s official, thanks to State approval & support from the @PGATour, patrons will be permitted to attend the 45th edition of #the Memorial. More details coming soon regarding protocols designed to promote the health & safety of all who will be on-site at this year’s Tournament.”
DeWine confirmed the decision at a Friday news conference. The governor noted that the Memorial will be the first of hopefully four Ohio-based tournaments to allow fans this season.
“In all of these cases, these sectors have come up with plans that reduce the number of people, provide for sanitation, and in some cases, provide for one-way traffic. They are elaborate plans that we believe are consistent with protecting the public.” DeWine said.
The PGA Tour welcomed the decision made be the state and the Memorial
“The PGA Tour has been diligently working with host organizations, state and local government agencies and leading medical experts on health and safety plans for our Return to Golf events. These include – beyond our first several tournaments back – parallel plans that would include events both with and without spectators,” the tour said in a prepared statement.
“The news announced today by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine is a very positive step for the PGA Tour and the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide as it relates to a phased approach in re-introducing a limited number of on-site fans and guests.
“We very much look forward to the return of spectators on a limited basis at the Memorial Tournament, July 13-19.”
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This is the next step in PGA Tour golf returning to something near what was normal before. And, as stated before, if anyone is going to step up and help the tour, Jack Nicklaus is just the man for the job.
Fans returning will make the return of golf that much more exciting. And now, we know when that will happen.