Dustin Johnson Says PGA Tour without Fans Will Be Like Junior Golf

All the PGA Tour players, including Dustin Johnson, at the Charles Schwab Challenge this week agree that having no fans on-site will definitely be strange.

Weird, is the most often-used description. But Dustin Johnson has come up with a new analogy.

"“I think it’s going to remind me a lot like junior golf except without the TV cameras,” he said in a pre-tournament interview."

While that’s seems a little bit like something pulled out of the blue, Johnson is closer to junior golf than most know. He sponsors a junior golf event in Myrtle Beach, S.C., which just had its fifth annual tournament last winter. He also has a junior golf school in the Myrtle Beach area, which he founded in 2013. So the comment was perhaps less out of left field than one might think.

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After the long break, Johnson said he actually expects to be a little nervous, especially if he’s in the lead. But with no crowd noise, he says it’s going to be odd.

What Dustin Johnson missed the most being away from the PGA Tour was the competition.

"“That first day is going to feel very important,” he said. “You cannot simulate tournament golf at home, no matter how hard you try.”"

Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka agreed that testing themselves against the rest of the players on the PGA Tour is what they missed the most during the three-month hiatus.

"“You can go play some games at home, but it’s not the real thing,” Koepka said. “When you’ve got 144 of the best players in the world, it’s a lot different than playing at home.”"

The layoff did give Koepka more time to rehabilitate his knee, and that may make it tough on the rest of the field. He said that he’s able to control his ball flight and spin. He can hit his yardages. His putting and chipping are coming around. In his estimation, he feels like a new person, certainly better than he was in March. He thinks his game is ready.

"“It’s been a blessing in disguise for me without a doubt, and I’m excited to see what happens here,” he said about the layoff."

During the shutdown, McIlroy made a name for himself as a Peloton competitor.

He challenged bike riders all over the globe and for a while was at the top of the Peloton standings with his rides. He even competed in the ESPN All-Star Ride with Justin Thomas, Bubba Watson, Steph Curry, and others. When he wasn’t sweating on the bike, he did jigsaw puzzles and spent time by the pool.

"“It’s probably the most tanned my pasty Irish skin has ever been,” he joked."

But like the rest of the PGA Tour members at the Charles Schwab Challenge, he’s ready to play some golf.

"“I’m eager to play and get back into competition mode, but I’m sort of — expectation-wise, we’ll see how it goes,” he added. “I feel like I’m as sharp as I can be coming in here.”"

All three agree that the PGA Tour has done a responsible job of providing safe playing conditions. Dustin Johnson may have an extra comfort advantage because of the fact that his brother caddies for him. They have been around each other since the PGA Tour shut down golf.

"“The Tour has done a great job with putting a lot of safety measures in place, ” Johnson said."

Koepka is comfortable about returning. He has also been in contact with his caddie, Rickie Elliott, during the COVID break. They’ve both been tested, and so he has no plans to change the way he interacts with Elliott during play.

"“I’m pretty sure LeBron James isn’t going to worry about setting a pick when there’s contact about social distancing,” he said. “Football, you’re not going to worry about tackling a guy because of social distancing.”"

"“It feels safe. I feel safe, and I would say basically everyone else that’s here feels the same way,” he said."

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McIlroy is also comfortable with the Tour’s safety protocols and with the arrangements on-site at Colonial CC in Fort Worth.